More than one-half answer phone calls, emails after hours to satisfy customer demands
More than 80 per cent of Americans continue working when they have left the office, for an average of seven extra hours each week — almost another full day of work, according to a recent survey by Good Technology.
At this rate, workers are clocking a total of close to 30 hours per month or 365 extra hours every year just by answering calls and emails from home, found the survey of 1,000 Americans.
While 60 per cent work after-hours simply to stay organized, almost one-half feel they have no choice because their customers demand quick replies. Thirty-one per cent of respondents admit to continuing to work at home as they find it hard to switch off and one-half of Americans can’t even put their phone down while in bed, as they read or respond to work emails after climbing under the covers, found the survey.
This overtime has become so commonplace that only one-quarter of the survey respondents said it caused an occasional disagreement with their partner.
The study also revealed:
•Sixty-eight per cent of people check their work emails before 8 a.m.
•The average American first checks his phone around 7:09 a.m.
•Fifty per cent check their work email while still in bed.
•The work day is growing — 40 per cent still do work email after 10 p.m.
•Sixty-nine per cent will not go to sleep without checking their work email.
•Fifty-seven per cent check work emails on family outings.
•Thirty-eight per cent routinely check work emails while at the dinner table.
