WORK ADDICT? Leave, half of the employees remains connected - APA

This is a U.S. study , of course, but it shows that disconnect from work during the weekend or holidays , becomes, with shelves , a trend increasingly rare and declining less desired , while most participants say that staying connected is good for productivity and balance. The survey published by the Center for Organizational Excellence from the American Psychological Association, suggests that even if these behaviors can have a detrimental effect on work and health, the current dominant belief is that new technologies have advantages for work.


The results of this survey, conducted by Harris Interactive for the American Psychological Association speak for themselves:
· 53% of employees surveyed check work messages at least once a day on weekends ,
· 52 % before or after work during the week ,
· 54% when they are absent due to illness ,
· 44% during the holidays.


It is sometimes positive to stay connected : If the majority of respondents agree that our society is too " connected "
· 56 % believe that communications technology can be more productive ,
· 53% they offer more flexibility.
and , beyond a permanent connection,
· 56 % agree that facilitate working,
· 49 % said they have a positive impact on their relationships with colleagues ,
· 71 % said they used to keep a check on what happens outside of normal working hours ,
· 69 % said they used to better align their work with their personal lives.


But ... it becomes difficult to take a break ... The psychologist David W. Ballard, corresponding to the APA survey said that downtime is needed to recover from work stress and avoid burnout , however the downtime does not necessarily imply a complete " digital detox" . This is however not to mention some small side effects :
· 36% of respondents explained that these communication technologies increase their workload,
· 34% it is more difficult to stop thinking about work ,
· 35% and take a break ...


The more connected than women men Men will check more frequently than women messages related to work and at least daily during the weekend (59% vs 45 %) , on vacation (49 % vs. 37 %) and sick leave (59 % vs. 48%).
Men see these tools , more than women , an advantage in terms of flexibility (56 % vs. 50%) for labor relations (51 % vs. 46%) but are also more critical , citing wider conflict work personal life (26 % vs. 20 %) and the negative impact on personal relationships (20 % vs. 14%).
Finally, if the younger ones are the most professionally connected , they are also the most critical . Compared to users 55 years and older, 18-34 are three times more likely to blame the new technology to force them to work faster ( 32% vs. 12%) and negatively affect their relationships outside of work ( 25% vs. 9%).
Tools to be used according to the needs , skills and preferences of each individual, as a tool that meets your needs, rather than the reverse.