Interesting article on Read Write about the email battle–Why I’m Joining The Movement To Stop Answering After-Hours Email

The genie has been let out of the bottle, and it is very common for employers (who know you have a smartphone because they are paying for it) to expect that 24/7 responsiveness. Remote workers feel this pressure, perhaps in an effort to “stay productive” or just “look productive” to justify to their bosses why they should be allowed to not be in the office.

I wonder if there are any studies showing what percentage of people carrying smart phones actually pay the monthly charges themselves.  Speaking as a remote worker it can be a temptation to stay online with email or instant messenger to show “presence.”

At a certain point I’ve also realized that I’m also more productive when I go offline for periods of time.  If your employer can’t judge your performance by the results or trust you, you’ve got much bigger problems.

Part of breaking the cycle is setting expectations with other people by your own behavior.