OT: POLL - Do you regularly check your work email outside of work?

[DJ Spanky]

Heard an interesting stat on the radio the other day that a high percentage of American workers regularly check their work email outside of work hours, even when they're on vacation or sick leave. They quoted some ridiculously high percentage - over 70%, which I find unbelievable. Plus, I have to wonder about the context of the poll that was run to get those numbers. If some one checks their work email for a specific situation, that does not constitute "regular". So I tried to devise a poll which gave a better breakdown. These may be a little redundant, but try to pick the one that best fits your situation.

 

[Saint Puppy]

I check my email all the time 7 days a week - nature of my business.

 

[Terry_2426]

If I'm working out of the office then I check it a few times during regular work hours. If it's a weekend I might check it once a day but I usually don't respond to anything that isn't important until Monday

 

[RUtix4me]

I manage teams globally so first emails from europe/asia are checked right after getting up 530am. Emails from Asia are checked till about 10pm. Not uncommon to have first video conference 7-730 am, last one 8-9pm.

 

[OTBOTOR]

Have to check work email all the time. Even on "days off" I'm usually spending a couple or few hours working. Conference calls on the ski lift, on the beach, on line at Duane Reade, anytime, anyplace. In 21st century America, work follows you everywhere. There's no "off" switch.

 

[LC-88]

True. I would love to go back to the good old days (1988). IBM 3278 dumb terminal with internal email (PROFS). Western Electric phone on the desk. No voicemail. Message box at the front desk. No pager. No cell. No internet. Show up at 8:15 home at 5:30. Done.

 

[RutgersUnion]

Is there an option for constantly? Email is set to push on my phone and tablet.

 

[BuckRU]

On weekends or vacation ... very rarely. Often have to on weeknights just because I don't have enough time at work to deal with them all. Hate it. My wife practically checks 24/7. I think she's nuts.

 

[ru109]

At work I get a couple hundred emails a day so I'm in it constantly. But on weekend/vacations etc I never check it. If the office needs me they know my cell number they can call me.

 

[greenknight]

Huge yes in sales

 

[RUtix4me]

Should done a.poll: do you check your work email as often as you check Rivals... I am sure those 75,000 post people would not even be close.

 

[RU Mike73]

Huge yes in sales

#1 big time

 

[rutcrew]

having a company phone means responding to emails 24/7. would be very different without the company phone. would probably never check it.

would be very curious if anyone who picked "multiple times regardless of circumstances" is actually doing so soley through a computer.

 

[rutexan84]

I own a business. The line between work and personal life is quite blurred.

 

[RU205]

My company issues iPhones. I also work globally and the business in 24/7. In my current role I check emails on the weekends maybe 2 times a day. With my last company it was none stop.

 

[ecojew]

I do most of my work at home. Little gets done at the office after 8 a.m. So I check my email often and from anywhere in the world where I have internet access.

 

[RU-AGK]

I used to get my work email pushed to my phone (personal phone that I pay for, no company phone). Then when we went to a Microsoft Exchange server and it was required that my company could have all kinds of permissions on my phone (again my personal phone) in order to get my mail pushed to me I determined that nothing was that important and screw the idea of some idiot IT guy having the ability to have certain accesses to my personal phone.

So no, I rarely if ever check my work email once I walk out of there for the day.

To be honest if a small fire was burning in a hallway there and I really had to take a leak as I was walking past it on my way to my car to go home, I'd let the damned place burn down.

 

[RUJohnny99]

Due to the nature of my work, checking my work email on my personal phone makes my phone discoverable. Since I'd rather my browsing habits of websites of ill repute not be disclosed up the corporate ladder, I do not check my email outside of the office computer.

 

[Myrtleknight]

I'm getting pretty good at not checking it on Sundays. Other than that, all the time.

 

[fischy5000]

I used to have my work email on my personal phone, but when it was time to upgrade, I separated them out (partially so I didnt have to worry about expensing portions every month). Now I have 2 separate phones, but still check the work one throughout the day/night 7 days/week. Usually if I'm getting notes on the weekend though it's more of a 'person getting the email/task off their plate' type situation and just something to deal with on Monday. It's interesting though because I was in some conversations with co-workers and there was a consistent thought that it was somewhat expected that they reply over the weekend if they get notes from others over the weekend.