Teleworking after the Olympics

Tuesday, September 25th, 2012 Karen Ambrose Hickey, Editor

Last week, in the article Is teleworking driving us crazy?, Matthew Wall discussed the benefits that mobile workers felt in working remotely during the Olympics.

However, he says, “And as the boundaries between work and family life become increasingly blurred in the “always-on” era of digital communications, what psychological pressure does this put on us and our relationships with partners and families?”

He also brought in the downsides and possible balance points:

“In a major study into the wellbeing of mobile workers conducted for iPass, a network provider, Dr Carolyn Axtell, senior lecturer at Sheffield University’s Institute of Work Psychology and Management, found more than a quarter of respondents said they worked 15 to 20 hours extra a week, largely because technology enabled them to do so, a trend “likely to have significant repercussions for work-life balance and employee well-being”…

And Dr Axtell’s work suggests productivity actually levels off among those working the longest hours, and even drops over time, as tiredness and stress eventually impair performance.

She says: “There is a fine balance between reaping the benefits of greater flexibility and control over when and where a person works versus working longer hours that may encroach detrimentally on personal life.

“However, when the balance is struck well – mobile workers can achieve a better work-life balance, feel a greater sense of control and well-being, and be more efficient and productive.”

Photo courtesy of cc 3.0 jnyemb

Tags: mobile employee, Reports