Email overload causing stress for UK workforce
Thursday, 17 November 2011 11:26 AM
Today’s workers are suffering from ‘email overload‘, say technology experts, who fear that expectations to respond quickly are resulting in errors and stress.
Dr Monica Seeley, an email management expert, says a few years ago a response to an email was expected within a few days or even a week.
However, her recent survey reveals that today a quarter of us expect a response within the hour. Over a third of us, within two hours and over two thirds within half a day. Only a quarter of us think a response within one day is acceptable and only seven per cent of us are prepared to wait two days.
“Today’s ‘always on’ culture of email, smart phones and social media means we expect almost instant responses to our communications,” said Dr Seeley.
“We pressure ourselves into thinking that most email has to be answered and often as soon as it arrives. But like driving, the faster we respond, the more damage we do when we make a mistake.
"We are confusing speed of email response with effectiveness and allowing technology to dictate and potentially damage the way we work. This survey highlights the need to reduce email overload and to make email reply expectations realistic with sufficient time for a considered response.”
Garth Ralston, who manages large customer loyalty schemes like Nectar and Aeroplan, agrees. He is introducing an email etiquette scheme across his division giving guidelines on email conduct including expected response times.
“Most of us now have Blackberries or iPhones making it easy to interact 24 seven. As a result, even if you don’t reply, the general presumption is that you will have read the message whatever time it was sent.
“In the office, the speed of expected response is even more acute. I sometimes get a phone call just 20 minutes after someone has sent me an email to see what I think of it.”
Dr Seeley explains that much of the pressure for fast replies is in the mind of the recipient saying many senior managers tell her they are surprised by how quickly people respond to their emails.
She advises people to give themselves more time to respond by including a line in their email signature stating that they check their email at regular intervals but not as each email arrives.
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