Put down the CrackBerry
Craig Silverman,
February 6, 2008 at 9:20 AM EST
I’ve heard of Facebook and YouTube bans, but now one government ministry has declared a BlackBerry ban for its employees.No, not a blanket ban at work. Perish the thought. But Citizenship and Immigration Canada does want its workers to turn off their smartphones between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. on weekends and holidays. It was also recommended that they turn them off during meetings and to try and avoid scheduling meetings over lunch.The directive was issued in a memo from deputy minister Richard Fadden, according to a Reuters article."Work/life quality is a priority for me and this organization because achieving it benefits us both as individuals and as a department," Fadden wrote. "When we can 'balance' our work and personal responsibilities, we, as a team, stand to not only serve and perform more effectively, but also to attract and keep employees to help us build a stronger Canada."It’s a good idea, and a directive such as this needs to come from the top. But implementation is a tough issue. People won’t do this unless their peers do, and some will flout the directives in order to look like over-achievers. And what about emergencies? "I expect that some of you will consider the above a bit artificial,” wrote Fadden. “They may be a little, but I believe we have to start somewhere, and since reducing the quantity of work is unlikely to yield short-term results, we are 'attacking' some of the stresses around work," he said.Reuters noted that a “spokeswoman for the department was unable to say what guidelines would be given for handling emergencies.”
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