Technology Addiction in the

Workplace
Who is Responsible?
Taylor Danner & Sally Lewis

Addiction:
the state of being enslaved to a habit or
practice or to something that is
psychologically or physically habit-forming,
such as narcotics, to such an extent that its
cessation causes severe trauma
A behavior becomes an addiction when it
interferes with normal body functions such
as sleeping and eating, with work,
productivity, and with social and family
relationships.

The Problem
employees experience constant
connectivity to workplace
Technology addictions develop
Should employers be held liable?

The Debate
Is it ethical for employers to either
encourage or to require their employees to
stay connected?
Currently, is there an appropriate or fair
implementation of wireless technologies at
the workplace and at home?
Should addiction to such devices be
attributed to employers who insist on their
use- both inside and outside the office?

Who do You think should be

blamed?
Employer
Employee
Manufacturers of the devices

Gayle Porter (Associate Professor

at Rutgers University)
"There are costs attached to excessive
work due to technology. Information and
communication technology (ICT) addiction
has been treated by policy makers as a
kind of elephant in the room -- everyone
sees it, but no one wants to acknowledge it
directly. Owing to vested interests of the
employers and the ICT industry, signs of
possible addiction -- excess use of ICT and
related stress illnesses -- are often
ignored."

How can you tell the difference?

Employees Choice vs. Employers
Manipulation
Porter: When professional
advancement (or even survival)
seems to depend on 24/7
connectivity, it becomes increasingly
difficult to distinguish between choice
and manipulation

The Employers ARE to Blame

The technology addiction problem is
due to the employers and their high
demand for employees to stay
connected so frequently. This demand
forces employees to be constantly
connected, inside and outside of the
workplace, and therefore the
employee has no choice.

Why stay connected?

Manipulation
Fear
Pressure

Often employees are given things by

the company, like cell phones and
laptops, in order to stay connected.

Manipulation
What if the employer is manipulating
the employee to be connected for the
employers benefit?
Porter: If an employer manipulates an
individual's propensity toward
workaholism or technology addiction
for the employer's benefit, the legal
perspective shifts.

Fear and Pressure

Fear of missing out
Afraid of being fired or missing a promotion
Pressure to produce more
Pressure to get ahead
Porter: But for an employee looking to get
ahead, get a raise or keep a job, staying
connected with work during evenings and
on weekends is more of a necessity than a
choice

Vacation: a time to relax?

America Online and Opinion
Research Corporation
Polled 4,000 adults
60% of e-mail users check e-mail while
on vacation

The Sheraton Chicago Hotel

Whats next?
Suing the employers
Porter: If companies develop a culture
in which people are expected to be
available 24 hours a day, then they
should be prepared for the physical
and psychological consequences
Similar case: Barney

Many employers have programs that

help their workers who have other
types of addictions. Technology
addiction could have as much
damage to the mental health as other
things do. Do you think that
employers should be responsible for
providing their employees with help if
they are addicted?

The employer should not be liable

unless employers require their
employees to be accessible after
business hours, they are not liable
because technology proficiency is
important for most competitive
companies, and the risk of becoming
dependent on technology should be
considered an equal risk to other work
related hazards

History of Addictive Behaviors

Addiction occurred years before the
age of technology
Long list of compulsive behavior &
treatment centers
When a person cannot exercise
personal control disorder

Workaholics
addicted to work
lead to or be mistaken for technology
addiction
Not contributed to unreasonable
demands of the employer
Based on an individual desire and
compulsive behavior.

Ivan Goldberg, M.D.- There's no

such thing as Internet addiction. The
Internet is about as addictive as work:
Sure, there are workaholics, but
they're simply working to avoid the
other problems in their lives
Gayle Porter- If people work longer
hours for personal enrichment, they
assume the risk.

Psychiatrist David Averbach

Personal restraint is really the key,
and can employers be liable for (lack
of) personal restraint?
these technological devices only work
when they are turned on, and that an
employee is capable of turning them
off outside of business hours

Technology addicted employees are

Not beneficial to employers
Misuse of technology within business
hours lower productivity
opposite affect of efficiency
Companies establish guidelines for
use

Finding the source

communication through technology is not
restricted to the workplace
Pinpointing employers new possibility of
law suits
Judy Olsen (professor of business
information technology & psychology): Are
employers responsible for people getting
lung cancer because they allow smoking
on the premises

Students, Employees, & Choices

Employees and students high
technology addiction
Can students blame University for
technology addiction?
Students entering job market expect
constant connectivity
Discuss addictive behavior with employer
before accepting position

Health Education Coordinator Dennis

Martell (Michigan State University):
Placing any blame on employers for
providing the tools to stay connected
would be like saying you would have
held (Ma Bell) liable for inventing the
phone

Statistics
5-10% American population addicted to
technology
Over 50% of technology addicts also suffer
from other addictions (established addictive
personality)
emotional problems often factors in lives of
technology addicts

Rick Ueno
Manager of Sheraton Chicago Hotel; King
of Crackberry
Former technology addict
Solved problem by giving up BlackBerry
overnight
Started program for clients suffering from
technology addiction
*many employers realize high potential of
technology addiction