1. SHRM Survey Findings: Technology and Its Impact on Employees During Nonworking Hours
July 16, 2012

2. Definition
Wireless communication devices: For the purposes of this survey, wireless communication devices include cell phones, smart phones (e.g., Blackberry, iPhone, Android), tablets (e.g., iPad, Archos, PlayBook) and similar communication devices.

3. Key Findings
Do organizations limit employees’ use of wireless communication devices during nonworking hours for work purposes? Approximately one-fifth of organizations (21%) have a formal policy that regulates wireless communication device use during nonworking hours. In some cases, these limits may be put in place in order to be in compliance with Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) requirements for nonexempt staff. Of those organizations, 27% mention work/life balance issues within their policy. Roughly one-quarter of organizations (26%) have an informal policy.
How are informal policies about wireless communication device use communicated? Of those organizations that have informal wireless communication device usage policies in place, a majority express their limitations of wireless communication device use to employees directly through supervisors or managers (81%). Other methods of communicating these informal policies are by general word of mouth (37%) and at the department or unit level (37%).
How do organizations without formal or informal policies limiting employees’ use of wireless communication devices during nonworking hours address the use of these devices? Of the organizations that do not have a formal or informal policy on wireless communicate device usage, the majority (87%) allow their employees to set their own limits on the use of wireless communication devices for work purposes during nonworking hours.

4. Organizations with Formal Policies on Wireless Communication Device Usage During Nonworking Hours

5. Does your organization have a formal policy that limits employees’ use of wireless communication devices during nonworking hours (for work purposes)?
Note: n = 323. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis.

6. Does the policy only apply to company-provided/reimbursed wireless communication devices?
Note: n = 66. Only respondents whose organizations have a formal policy limiting employees’ use of wireless communication devices during nonworking hours were asked this question.

7.   Does the policy mention an organizational concern for work/life balance issues (e.g., limiting the amount of time employees are connected to work during nonworking hours)?
Note: n =67. Only respondents whose organizations have a formal policy limiting employees’ use of wireless communication devices during nonworking hours were asked this question.

8. Organizations with Informal Policies on Wireless Communication Device Usage During Nonworking Hours

9. Does your organization have informal policies (i. e
Does your organization have informal policies (i.e., managerial practices) that encourage employees to limit their use of wireless communication devices for work purposes during nonworking hours?
Note: n = 255. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis. Only organizations that do not have a formal policy limiting employees’ use of wireless communication devices during nonworking hours were asked this question. Percentages do not equal 100% due to rounding.

10. How are informal policies communicated to encourage employees to limit their use of wireless communication devices for work purposes during nonworking hours?
Note: n = 68. Only respondents whose organizations have informal policies that limit employees’ nonworking hours were asked this question. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options. An asterisk (*) indicates that this response option was developed from open-ended responses.

11. Do informal policies apply to company-provided/reimbursed or personal wireless communication devices for work?
Note: n = 65. Only respondents whose organizations have informal policies that limit employees’ nonworking hours were asked this question.

12. Organizations Without Formal or Informal Policies on Wireless Communication Device Usage During Nonworking Hours

13. Does your organization encourage employees to limit their use of wireless communication devices to check work s and do other work during nonworking hours?
Note: n = 119. Respondents who answered “not sure” were excluded from this analysis. Only respondents whose organizations did not have a formal or informal work/life policy were asked this question.

14. Within the next 1 to 3 years, how likely is your organization to adopt a formal or informal policy to encourage employees to limit their use of wireless communication devices to check s and do other work during nonworking hours?
Note: n = 106. Only respondents whose organizations do not have a formal or informal work/life policy and allow their employees to limit their wireless communication device use were asked this question. Percentages do not equal 100% due to rounding.

15. Demographics: Organization Industry
Percentage
Manufacturing
17%
Finance and insurance
Health care and social assistance
12%
Professional, scientific and technical services
10%
Other service except public administration 9%
Educational services 6%
Public administration 5%
Retail trade 4%
Construction 3%
Information, publishing industries
Religious, grant-making, civic professional and similar organizations
Transportation and warehousing 2%
Note: n = 332. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options.

16. Demographics: Organization Industry (continued)
Percentage
Wholesale trade 2%
Utilities
Accommodation and food services
Administrative and support and waste management and remediation services
Real estate, rental and leasing
Arts, entertainment and recreation 1%
Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting
Mining
Repair and maintenance
Management of companies and enterprises
Personal and laundry services *
Note: n = 332. Percentages do not equal 100% due to multiple response options. An asterisk (*) indicates < 1%.

17. Demographics: Organization Sector

18. Demographics: Organization Staff Size

19. Demographics: Other
Does your organization have U.S.-based operations (business units) only, or does it operate multinationally?
U.S.-based operations only
74%
Multinational operations
26%
n = 329
Is your organization a single-unit organization or a multi-unit organization?
Single-unit organization: An organization in which the location and the organization are one and the same.
33%
Multi-unit organization: An organization that has more than one location.
67%
n = 331
What is the HR department/function for which you responded throughout this survey?
Corporate (companywide)
70%
Business unit/division
14%
Facility/location
16%
n = 230
For multi-unit organizations, are HR policies and practices determined by the multi-unit headquarters, by each work location or by both?
Multi-unit headquarters determines HR policies and practices.
52%
Each work location determines HR policies and practices. 3%
A combination of both the work location and the multi-unit headquarters determines HR policies and practices.
45%
n = 230

20. SHRM Survey Findings: Technology and Its Impact on Employees During Nonworking Hours
Methodology
Response rate = 12%
Sample composed of 332 randomly selected HR professionals from SHRM’s membership
Margin of error +/-5%
Survey fielded June 9 – June 27, 2011
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Project leader:
Robert Boyd, survey research analyst, SHRM Research
Project contributors:
Mark Schmit, Ph.D., SPHR, vice president, SHRM Research Evren Esen, manager, SHRM Research
Christina Lee, SHRM Research
Copy Editor:
Katya Scanlan, SHRM Knowledge Center