Technology Addiction in the Workplace

Who is Responsible?

Taylor Danner & Sally Lewis

Addiction:

the state of being enslaved to a habit or practice or to something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming, such as narcotics, to such an extent that its cessation causes severe trauma

A behavior becomes an addiction when it interferes with normal body functions such as sleeping and eating, with work, productivity, and with social and family relationships.

The Problem

employees experience constant connectivity to workplace

Technology addictions develop

Should employers be held liable?

The Debate

Is it ethical for employers to either encourage or to require their employees to stay connected?

Currently, is there an appropriate or fair implementation of wireless technologies at the workplace and at home?

Should addiction to such devices be attributed to employers who insist on their use- both inside and outside the office?

Who do You think should be blamed?

Employer

Employee

Manufacturers of the devices

Gayle Porter (Associate Professor at Rutgers University)

"There are costs attached to excessive work due to technology. Information and communication technology (ICT) addiction has been treated by policy makers as a kind of elephant in the room -- everyone sees it, but no one wants to acknowledge it directly. Owing to vested interests of the employers and the ICT industry, signs of possible addiction -- excess use of ICT and related stress illnesses -- are often ignored."

How can you tell the difference?

Employee’s Choice vs. Employer’s Manipulation

Porter: “When professional advancement (or even survival) seems to depend on 24/7 connectivity, it becomes increasingly difficult to distinguish between choice and manipulation”

The Employers ARE to Blame

The technology addiction problem is due to the employers and their high demand for employees to stay connected so frequently. This demand forces employees to be constantly connected, inside and outside of the workplace, and therefore the employee has no choice.

Why stay connected?

Manipulation

Fear

Pressure

Often employees are given things by the company, like cell phones and laptops, in order to stay connected.

Manipulation

What if the employer is manipulating the employee to be connected for the employers benefit?

Porter: “If an employer manipulates an individual's propensity toward workaholism or technology addiction for the employer's benefit, the legal perspective shifts.”

Fear and Pressure

Fear of missing out

Afraid of being fired or missing a promotion

Pressure to produce more

Pressure to get ahead

Porter: “But for an employee looking to get ahead, get a raise or keep a job, staying connected with work during evenings and on weekends is more of a necessity than a choice”

Vacation: a time to relax?

America Online and Opinion Research Corporation

Polled 4,000 adults

60% of e-mail users check e-mail while on vacation

The Sheraton Chicago Hotel

What’s next?

Suing the employers

Porter: “If companies develop a culture

in which people are expected to be available 24 hours a day, then they

should be prepared for the physical

and psychological consequences”

Similar case: Barney

Many employers have programs that help their workers who have other types of addictions. Technology addiction could have as much damage to the mental health as other things do. Do you think that employers should be responsible for providing their employees with help if they are addicted?

The employer should not be liable

unless employers require their employees to be accessible after business hours, they are not liable because technology proficiency is important for most competitive companies, and the risk of becoming dependent on technology should be considered an equal risk to other work related hazards

History of Addictive Behaviors

Addiction occurred years before the age of technology

Long list of compulsive behavior & treatment centers

When a person cannot exercise personal control disorder

Workaholics

addicted to work

lead to or be mistaken for technology addiction

Not contributed to unreasonable demands of the employer

Based on an individual desire and compulsive behavior.

Ivan Goldberg, M.D.- “There's no such thing as Internet addiction. The Internet is about as addictive as work: Sure, there are workaholics, but they're simply working to avoid the other problems in their lives”

Gayle Porter- “If people work longer hours for personal enrichment, they assume the risk.”

Psychiatrist David Averbach

“Personal restraint is really the key, and can employers be liable for (lack of) personal restraint?”

these technological devices only work when they are turned on, and that an employee is capable of turning them off outside of business hours

Technology addicted employees are Not beneficial to employers

Misuse of technology within business hours lower productivity

opposite affect of efficiency

Companies establish guidelines for use

Finding the source

communication through technology is not restricted to the workplace

Pinpointing employers new possibility of law suits

Judy Olsen (professor of business information technology & psychology): “Are employers responsible for people getting lung cancer because they allow smoking on the premises”

Students, Employees, & Choices

Employees and students high technology addiction

Can students blame University for technology addiction?

Students entering job market expect constant connectivity

Discuss addictive behavior with employer before accepting position

Health Education Coordinator Dennis Martell (Michigan State University):

“Placing any blame on employers for providing the tools to stay connected would be like saying you would have held (Ma Bell) liable for inventing the phone”

Statistics

5-10% American population addicted to technology

Over 50% of technology addicts also suffer from other addictions (established addictive personality)

emotional problems often factors in lives of technology addicts

Rick Ueno

Manager of Sheraton Chicago Hotel; “King of Crackberry”Former technology addictSolved problem by giving up BlackBerry overnightStarted program for clients suffering from technology addiction

*many employers realize high potential of technology addiction