Some signs of two-way street in work-life balance

Stephen Withers
Wednesday, 19 May 2010 05:13

Business IT - Technology

Australian office workers say they are working harder and longer, with many of them regularly taking work home. But there's a slight trade-off, with employers becoming more relaxed about the use of social networking tools at work.

According to research by security company Clearswift, 60% of Australian office workers believe they are working harder this year than last year, with 45% believing they also need to work longer hours.

One way this is being manifested is the frequency with which work is being taken home. 48% of office workers and 76% of managers said work tasks overlap into their home lives at least twice a week.

Clearswift uses the term 'Generation STaNDby' (Socially & Technologically Never Disconnected) to describe a group that never seems to fully switch off from work. For example, 38% of respondents said they use a smart phone as an always-on link to office life.

A few years ago, many employers were aghast at the idea that employees might want to access Facebook and other 'non-work' sites during working hours, and there were plenty of stories circulating about employees spending hours on social networking, auction, and other sites.

But if Clearswift's study is anything to go by, employers are realising that if they expect their staff to complete or carry out certain tasks at home in the evenings or weekends, they need to accept that some social tasks will be performed at work.

How many employers accept the personal use of social networking tools at work? See page 2.