The topic of week 4 is probably one of the more relatable topics for me so far in the DIGC202 subject. The notion that work and leisure are slowly invading each others space is one that has only been developing in the last 10-15 years, which is coincidently the same timeframe in which the internet has taken off as a major communication network between people. One could almost jump to the not so ridiculous conclusion that the internet has served as a gateway for this networking to take place. Having a simpler, more efficient means of communication has made it possible for a lot of work to be done from ones home.
The idea of a ‘9-5’ job doesn’t necessarily exist in todays world. My mother is a teacher and I can remember many an evening in which she would bring home work to mark, even though it was outside of her designated hours. In more recent years this idea of work invading the home can be seen in simple examples of E-mails, and using the internet as a tool to catch up with work that one may have missed in the office. One does not simply have a day off work anymore.
In an article by ABC journalist Robert Parcell; (http://www.abc.net.au/technology/articles/2011/11/21/3371694.htm), he argues that mobility will become one of the main features in a modern workplace environment, particularly as we rely more and more on portable mobile devices in everyday life. I can see elements of this in my own job, when I use my phone to access E-mails and in turn organise rosters, duty swaps, as well as contacting people to organise events and other things. I can do all this any time of the day and from any location. In this respect it makes me think that the 21st century workplace is not in a set location, such as an office block or at home, but it is wherever we ourselves are at any given point in time. We carry the workplace with us.
Jack Morningside 
I’m a little bit torn between the freedom of being able to work at home in order to finish what you have to do. I think, depending on what it is you’re doing, whether it be journalism, PR, etc.. it might just become a habit of nature for you to be ‘always on’. However, I wouldn’t want that kind of job. I want to know, that when I log off at work, I leave that environment and those materials behind me and don’t have to see them until whenever I’m in next. I like to go home and not have to think about ANYTHING work related. It all depends on the individual as well, if they can find a balance between both work and leisure, then they’ll keep their sanity.
It’s convenient to be able to plan, etc, from any device, but it’s also an inconvenience because you’re technically still working and cannot enjoy your time of (supposed) relaxation.
Hopefully if we are aware that we need a time-out from work, we’ll take it.
A lot of people do not like the concept of work spilling into our private lives at home. Especially when they’re not getting paid for it. With the internet and cloud storage becoming common, people are, like you said, being able to work from home (and well from anywhere). I interned at an SEO company this year and they heavily used Dropbox and ‘Smartsheet’ – Both easily accessed online. I could have easily done the set tasks set by them from the comfort of my own home. For me, this would have been easier as there is no means for travel. However, I think face to face training is the best way to train and teach others. The article by Parcell is interesting, I found some user generated comments about this whole concept at http://www.linkedin.com/answers/professional-development/communication-public-speaking/PRO_COM/991798-4779
Great blog Doug. As Ted mentioned in our tute, mobile devices are an important catalyst in the emergence of liquid labour. Your example of having to use your phone to check emails and organise rosters really solidifies this concept.
I also really like Donna’s point about how it depends on the individual. I still think there are lot jobs out there that allows for workers to completely separate their work life from home. It’s up to the individual to find the right balance for them. Personally, I enjoy the idea that I am always connected. I think it creates flexibility, and prevents me from falling into a daily routine. As the business environment is constantly changing, many jobs require workers to stay on top of these changes. While this seems very intrusive to ones lifestyle, it may also be crucial.
My mother is also a teacher and I also cannot remember a time where she didn’t bring home work whether it was marking or lesson planning. The only thing that has changed was that she used to hand write reports and now it is all done online and she uses a computer to do a lot of her work, My mother always comments about the ridicule that teachers face because of the holidays they get and the working hours are a bit less. She will always make the statement “they have no idea the work that I bring home, I never leave my job I always have something to do”. In this job description technology can’t be seen to have impacted the work load or made it more. So I really think it depends on the job description where as if people are working beyond their set ours. Some jobs really don’t have set working hours. If people were to be impacted in their home lives, email is not the only means of communication, telephones have been around for years even before the internet was a rampant part of our society.
Good post Doug!
Linking the Internet to this notion of ‘spilling over’ of work and leisure was a great point and almost the epitome of what DIGC202 is all about. As Ted mentioned in the tute, he set us up to blog, comment, and tweet each week so that we learn to adjust to the modern day career and ‘liquid life’ that technology has brought to us.
I experience this in my job also, having to head into the office on short notice to edit work for clients because they have emailed and changed their mind on something. This wouldn’t happen if we were still reliant on post! As makedonka4 suggests in their post, “It all depends on the individual as well, if they can find a balance between both work and leisure, then they’ll keep their sanity” However, with the possibilities of the Internet having communication sought so efficiently and with ease, that our employers can contact us whenever they need and send us work. However, the individual has to make the decision to do this work. However, the point that our Bosses have this within their power is lame. We can never escape! (Unless we get rid of the Internet. Can we do that?)
This was a really insightful post. It honestly scares me a little bit to think that one day in the near future I could be working in a job that takes over my personal life. I would like to think that when I have a family I am able to focus my attention on them and not be distracted by work in my own home (which doesn’t even count as over time). I’ve been watching the new Puberty Blues on television and it really does seem like a simpler time, when the 9-5 day still existed. It’s wishful thinking that we will ever get back to that.
Nice post.