Two thirds of Islanders check emails out of the office

Friday 22 June 2018

Checking emails out of office hours is the norm for 67% of workers in Jersey, with 44% of people checking email around the working day, at weekends and on holidays.

The research - conducted by recruitment specialists Kendrick Rose - found that just 16% of people never check email out of the office. That figure rises to 25% for people working in finance.

Following up work in progress, answering team members, and responding to clients were the most common reasons for using email out of office hours. However, 21% of people also said they did it because it was 'expected'.

52% of people surveyed believe they could do their job to the same standard if they didn't check emails out of office hours – a figure that ranges from 29% for people who work in marketing, media and PR to 67% for those working in professional services.

Regardless of sector, 73% of workers said they would welcome a company policy preventing employees sending or receiving emails out of office hours. Support was highest among healthcare professionals (100%), and lowest among people working in professional services or retail (50%).

Pictured: The Kendrick Rose Digital Detox Survey surveyed 100 professionals in Jersey.

Shelley Kendrick, Managing Director, Kendrick Rose, said: “The survey shows how rare 9-5 culture is now in Jersey when so many workers are connected to work by email out of office hours, at weekends, and during holidays. Regardless of the sector people work in, being in contact has become the norm.

“The way we work has changed dramatically over the past few years as virtually everyone has access to the internet at home, or on the move. It makes it easier for employees to meet deadlines and answer key questions wherever they are, but it also has its downsides. Some employees may find they end up effectively working longer hours by answering email out of the office, others may find it harder to switch off.

“It's interesting to see how many people would support policies to discourage emails out of office hours. This might be difficult for employees in certain sectors, and indeed, for employers too, but with electronic use policies already limiting out of hours emails in certain workplaces in France and Germany, I wouldn't be surprised if more companies start to consider it.”

Pictured: Shelley Kendrick, Managing Director, Kendrick Rose.

Kendrick Rose surveyed over 100 people in Jersey across a range of careers: Finance, Professional Services, Healthcare, Marketing & Media, Retail, Education, and other industries as part of their Digital Detox Survey.

It also looked at how long we can go without using an electronic device, beyond the time when we are asleep or not permitted to use the device. 47% of people said they could not go longer than one hour without checking their device, although nearly a quarter of people (22%) said they could give up their devices for longer than a weekend.

However, it seems almost everyone surveyed would like to spend less time on electronic devices. 86% of Islanders would consider a Digital Detox Day – unplugging from emails and not using electronic devices for one day a week.

Shelley said: “We use our smartphones and tablets for everything, and recruitment is no different. Online is often the first place candidates look when they’re considering moving roles. The internet is not everything though, and the more senior the role, the greater the need for confidentiality and expert advice – something that still works better face-to-face.”