Jan 27, 2012 - ST Forum
IN MY view, instances of bosses unreasonably demanding instant
responses to e-mail at all hours of the day (or night) are
relatively few ('Addicted to work e-mail? Take a break';
Monday).
Apart from employees who have an obsessive inability to let go
of work and relax, and who incessantly check their e-mail, the
people who pressure you for instant replies or want something done
the day before are likelier to be co-workers and clients, rather
than bosses.
A colleague, issued with a company BlackBerry, refers to it as a
leash. Another's response is that with the BlackBerry, he need
never go to the office again, and can be at the beach and yet be
working.
A third sees the BlackBerry as a reference indicator of what
work activities are happening, but it takes great discipline to
keep it as just that.
The problem here is that - while I am not suggesting that one be
less responsible or diligent - the more promptly we respond or seem
available to boss, client or peer, especially after office hours,
the more we end up setting the wrong expectations, and the more
they will come back for more.
Lim Hock Chuan
