'NEW research has found that imposing a ban on staff from checking their BlackBerrys, iPhones or any device just one evening a week can lead to improvements in happiness and performance at work. But Aussies might struggle with turning off the phone, as further research released today by recruitment firm Randstad revealed that more than half of Aussies check the work phone at night.
Research by Harvard Business School, saw management consultants being banned from monitoring their work after 6pm once a week.Called predictable time off or PTO was carried out on 1400 employees of the Boston Consulting Group over three years. Professor Leslie Perlow was inspired to carry out the study after she found that 26 per cent of employees of 1600 managers and professionals slept with BlackBerrys or iPhones by their bedsides.
Some workaholic consultants resisted PTO, while other teams only partially embraced it. But those who had regular downtime said they found they had greater job satisfaction. Their work-life balance also improved and they became more productive. Over three years, 59 per cent of those who embraced PTO agreed with the statement "I am excited to start work in the morning" compared with 27 per cent of those dismissing the time off concept. Asked if they "feel satisfied" with their jobs, 78 per cent of those who had just one evening off a week said yes, compared with 67 per cent of those who partly accepted it, and 49 per cent who rejected it.
The study found that those who turned their phones off spent more time with their families and started making future plans for their social lives instead of endlessly cancelling them or not even bothering. Professor Perlow said: "We defined as `on' the time people spent working plus all the additional time they were available, monitoring their work in case something came up. What caught our attention was that the more people were `on', the more unpredictable their work seemed to become. "By being constantly connected to work, they seemed to be reinforcing and worse, amplifying the very pressures that caused them to need to be available." She said making one night a week sacrosanct, had helped to break the cycle.
Australians workers are no strangers to taking work home with further research released today revealing that more than half of Aussie employees handle work-related matters in their private time, and 50 per cent receive work-related phone calls or emails outside of regular office hours. The report which was commissioned by recruitment firm Randstad revealed that more Australians were blending work and private life. CEO of Randstad Australia and New Zealand, Fred van der Tang said that if not carefully managed, technology can have a detrimental effect.
“The speed at which portable devices and mobile wi-fi have redefined the modern workforce is remarkable, but organisations need to be careful to ensure any new expectations placed on employees as a result are balanced with appropriate concessions'
(Source: http://www.news.com.au/business/worklife/when-turning-off-means-tuning-in-to-work/story-e6frfm9r-1226304708356#ixzz1phuWlvwv)
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