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A recent survey by the Society for Human Resource Management shows more employers are recognizing the lack of distinction between a worker's time off and the time they're actually on the job thanks to smart phones, pads and laptops that allow people to be connected to work 24/7.
Click here for the survey.
"Some organizations are starting to look at limits to those types of devices," says Mark Schmit, Vice President of Research for the Society for Human Resource Management.
Employees say they spend a lot of time answering email both in the evening and weekends, blurring the lines to the point that there is no real time off the job. These companies are starting to realize the scale of work/life balance has tipped too far he says, and workers have to disconnect, at least sometimes, to reduce stress.
But that balance varies for different people Schmit says, which is another part of the challenge, as some employees enjoy being engaged more frequently.
As much as people love their smart phone, it's also become something to loathe by employees. But Schmit says "While they can be a bit of a burden they can also facilitate work/life balance. So we should look at it from both lens." He says technology enables people with a sick parent or child to work from home or a hospital, or use flex time to attend to other family needs.
