PDAs are a boon . . . but they can also shackle us
Wendy Mclellan
Province
Darci LaRocque owns Swirl Solutions, which offers BlackBerry training and tips for controlling the amount of time spent using them. Photograph by : Gerry Kahrmann file photo — The Province
Not using PDAs demands diligence, but organizations must set some guidelines. Photograph by : Gerry Kahrmann file photo — the Province
They’re supposed to make life easier, but it seems those addictive little personal digital assistants are more likely to make you work harder — even when you’re supposed to be off duty.
“They’re changing our idea of work time,” said Darci LaRocque, a self-confessed BlackBerry addict and president of Vancouver-based Swirl Solutions, which provides BlackBerry training to companies and individuals.
BlackBerrys and the other similar PDAs allow people to work away from the office, which can improve the work-life balance, but they also give you the “freedom” to work after business hours.
Or while waiting to order your morning coffee.
Or while crossing the street.
Or while having dinner with your family.
All of her clients use their PDAs after hours and on weekends, LaRocque said, and most employers aren’t complaining about staff who are willing to work more. But she encourages people to learn how to change settings to filter
e-mails and reduce the beeping so they can take control over their BlackBerrys.
“People are grateful because they have access to e-mail. But now they’re doing business when there used to be free time,” LaRocque said.
“You can get more done, but eventually there will probably be corporate policies saying you’re not expected to work any more than the hours you signed on for.”
Recently, off-hours BlackBerry use was the subject of a dispute at ABC News when the company’s news division presented waivers to three writers stating they wouldn’t be paid for checking their PDAs after office hours.
The writers had no problem checking e-mails late in the evening, but they didn’t want to find themselves scheduling interviews and writing after finishing work for the day, according to their union, the Writers’ Guild of America, East said. The issue has since been resolved.
“People are entitled to time off the job,” said Lowell Peterson, executive director of the East Coast guild.”BlackBerrys can be liberating; they can help people keep tabs without going into the office. But they can also shackle people to their jobs.”
Here in Canada, the federal Citizenship and Immigration department has implemented a BlackBerry blackout between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. to reduce the intrusion of PDAs into people’s homes and reduce work stress.
The “PDA pandemic” prompted one Vancouver advertising agency to set a new policy to curb BlackBerry use during meetings. Staff at DDB Canada’s offices across the country are issued yellow or red misconduct cards if they’re caught using their PDAs in client or staff meetings.
“Over the past year, I’ve become increasingly aware of and annoyed by staff who use their BlackBerries during meetings,” said Frank Palmer, chairman and CEO when he announced the new policy recently. “Whether it’s done openly or covertly under the table, using a PDA during a meeting is completely unacceptable, disrespectful and hinders the progress of the meeting.
“While these devices are considered time-savers, they’re also extremely intrusive.”
Employees caught using a PDA during a meeting are shown a yellow card by a fellow staff member. A second offence results in a red penalty card and the offender has to pay their own PDA invoice for the month.
“This could turn out to be an expensive, yet worthwhile etiquette lesson for those who continue to use their BlackBerry in the boardroom,” Palmer said.
Drew Railton, a partner in the Vancouver office of executive search firm The Caldwell Partners, said he only turns his BlackBerry off at the last minute before bedtime and it’s the first thing he reaches for when he wakes up in the morning.
© The Vancouver Province 2008
