Out-of-office emails could go extinct as work-life blends
T he out-of-office email is fast becoming redundant as work and personal lives blend and smart phones intrude on recreational time.
Australian research suggests as many as three in five people check work emails while on holiday. A survey by The Australia Institute found this was the case for 17.8 per cent of respondents and rates were higher among full-time workers (22.6 per cent compared to 8.9 per cent of part-timers) and among professionals and managers (22 per cent). Meanwhile, a survey by travelbooking website I Want That Flight placed the figure closer to 58 per cent.
This including 10 per cent of respondents who checked work emails several times a day. Hays managing director for Queensland Darren Buchanan said he no longer set an out-of-office when he went on leave. “Someone at my level in any organisation should expect to be available to deal with any urgent issues that staff might need support on,” he said.
“Although, there is a focus on work/life balance for employers and employees, an out-of-office may not be possible for some people,.
This is especially for decision makers and executives who need to remain reachable at all times. Also there is a trend of more people starting up their own businesses . They therefore need or want to be online at all times.” KPMG demographer Bernard Salt said even if a worker did set an outof-office, it likely wouldn’t mean what it used to.
“People do not totally disconnect from work,” he said. “Work is like a monster that has broken free from its cage and eaten up little bits of Saturdays and Sundays and four-week holidays.
“In some respects, it leads to extraordinary levels of productivity and output.
“But the cost is long term, you may burn out by the time you are 45. Work fatigue may be a problem of the future because of that lack of disconnection.”