Recently I worked on a Saturday, like most Saturdays. I think I left work that day about 3:00.
I don't "push" my email to my cell phone, like a lot of other people do. I don't do this intentionally, as I don't have the discipline not to check it. The only time that I do that is when I'm on the road.
The prior day, a client had called me with an emergency. I called the opposing attorney, who was not there, and left a message and followed up with an email. All I could do, under the circumstances, late on a Friday.
After I left work on Saturday, my client emailed me twice. Once to inform me that the problem still existed, and then to inquire why I hadn't yet solved it. Only 24 hours had gone by, most of it in a weekend.
The following day, the opposing attorney emailed me, which I didn't realize as I don't check my work emails while I'm in town, and not in my office, as a rule. But he apparently does.
I'm sure this isn't unique to the law, but its bad all the way around. Twenty four hour a day communications has risen to the level of a 24 hour work expectation. This means that, at some level, peoples lives now are more their work than ever, and they are what their professions are, with no other life that cannot be invaded. As trends go, people like to cite to instant communications as an advancement, but I doubt it really is. Time for the personal life is gone.
We see now where over half of all Americans are disenchanted with their employment and in high stress occupations this is particularly so. I can't help but thing people leaving their Iphones on all the time contribute to that. Well, don't do it. It'll wait till Monday.
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