One of my colleagues suffered a broken phone on recently the result of which he was out of contact with all of his emails and work phone calls… Apparently it was one of the most relaxing weekends he has had in a long time. This brought to mind a number of articles and discussion that were on the internet leading up to the Christmas period where it looked at how often people would be checking their work emails during the time they were off.
With the new technology in the shape of smart phones, tablets and notebooks etc it is now even easier to stay in touch with your work when you are out of the office but is that a good thing? The whole idea of weekends away from the office and holiday is it enables you to take a break from the stresses of work but now we can be contacted all the time more and more people are suffering from stress relating to their job.
This is an area that is never considered, especially if you are looking for a new role. A are of discussion that is that is never touch on by candidates and interviews alike is how much work will be required or expected of them out of office hours and what additional compensation might be offered for this intrusion into their personal life. This is an area that comes up a surprising amount when discussing with candidates why they are looking to leave, or do not like their current job. Some companies offer compensation for this intrusion in the form of a fully paid mobile phone which can also be used for personal calls, it has also been known for a company to pay the full cost of the employees home broadband and phone bills, but only because the employee was at the beck and call of their customers 24 hours a day. However a significant number of employers do not give this any consideration
Everyone tries to switch off when they are at home but as the articles and research highlighted before Christmas some people are more likely to check their emails whilst they are on holiday than others. People who were concerned about losing their job or a large deal were the main offenders with people under 25 more likely to check on a daily basis. This is an area that is never discussed between employees and employers and is something that could be a vital sticking point when considering just how suitable that new job offer actually is.
Most employers offer their people benefits which can range from the usual suspects of an increase in holiday entitlement the longer you work their up to duvet days where you get one a day a year that is not part of your holiday entitlement to just call in and take a free day off to spend their time in bed!! Some companies are now looking into the option of working 4 day weeks and there has been a number of discussion and polls on this subject on the internet including LinkedIn.
If you search for a new job most roles advertised will mentioned that benefits are on offer and they could be the difference between taking your dream job and dismissing it particularly if it is not offering quite the level of remuneration you were originally seeking. It is widely encouraged that you ask questions when attending an interview and this could be an excellent area to discuss with the interviewer, particularly if it is a role where you will always been contactable even on your weekends and holiday, and if you do fall into this trap make sure you are compensated for the intrusion and it does not simple become and expected, unrewarded part of your role.
