Talking technology - mobile mail has the edge

If employers and employees do not manage mobile e-mail access, it can become more of a burden than a boon.

Mobile phones now shape the way that many of us communicate in our personal and professional lives, but being 'always on' can be a mixed blessing - particularly when it comes to e-mail. Many finance professionals are employed in a 'perpetual workplace', where those with a BlackBerry, or similar device, feel obliged to respond to e-mails on a 24/7 basis, no matter where they are or what they are doing.

The negative impact on your personal life and workplace morale can be significant, but if your employer issues you with a BlackBerry or other PDA-style device, it can be difficult to take a balanced approach to its use. It is surprising how quickly people can become 'addicted' to technology, and if you are the sort of person who has trouble disconnecting from the workplace, mobile e-mail access can be a potential disaster.

The danger signals are fairly obvious. If you keep the device under your pillow at night, hide your use of it from your disgruntled family and friends, or repeatedly check your inbox while you're away on holiday, you have a problem and you need to act. Being constantly bombarded with messages may make you feel connected and wanted, but you need to take a real break from the stress of daily life, if you are to develop the resources to better handle it when you return.

So during leisure time, turn your BlackBerry off or lock it away. If it also serves as your phone, turn off the 'data services' so that you no longer receive e-mail. If you must look at your e-mails over the weekend or while you're on holiday, at least set yourself a limit. Check them just once or twice a day, and if you are concerned about people who expect a near-instant response, set up an auto-respond message to inform them that you are checking e-mail only infrequently.

Alternatively, provide people with another point of contact, such as a colleague, or suggest they phone you instead of e-mailing, but only if the matter is something urgent that can’t be dealt with by anyone else. Making the necessary disconnect can be difficult, but it is worth the effort. If you can force yourself to make the break every now and again, it should improve your productivity, increase your ability to stay focused, enhance your relationships, reduce your stress levels, and help you to sleep better.

Responsible employers also need to address staff use of mobile communications devices. Contracts of employment rarely include provisions about BlackBerrys and other PDAs, such as when a worker should or should not be available to respond, but this creates areas of potential liability, such as claims for unpaid overtime or 'BlackBerry Thumb' (a repetitive strain injury). BlackBerrys may make staff more available, but this doesn't necessarily translate into increased productivity.

According to research from Hewlett-Packard, when people multitask or are distracted by electronic communications their IQ falls by 10 points - that is the equivalent of not sleeping for 35 hours. So it is in employers' best interests to develop clear standards and guidelines for the out-of-hours use of BlackBerrys and similar devices, and to encourage balanced, healthy working practices among the employees who use them, and it’s in your best interests to follow them.