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December 23, 2011

Volkswagen Eases Off Employees by Restricting Email After Work Hours

By Jordan Eggers, Contributing Writer

Volkswagen employees in Germany have less to be stressed about as they will no longer receive emails on their BlackBerrys after work hours. Instead servers will stop sending emails 30 minutes after an employees’ shift and start up 30 minutes before they begin work.



The new rule came underway after unionized workers complained their work and home lives were becoming blurred.

“We confirm that this agreement between VW and the company’s work council exist,” said a spokesperson for VW; however, would make no further comment.

Although staff will no longer receive emails after work hours, senior management will as they do not apply to the new restriction. However, all employees will still be able to use their smartphones to make outgoing phone calls.

According to BBC, last month Henkel, the founder of Persil washing powder, banned all work related emails sent to employees during the time between Christmas and New Year. Henkel went on to say that the only time a message may be sent out during the “amnesty” period is if it’s considered an emergency.

For some time now people in the industry have noted that too much email and work outside of the office is harmful to employees. One study, conducted in 2009, analyzed the knowledge flow at a 50 person company in Germany to see the effects of email overload.

The results found that the team which sent and received the most email reported the lowest job satisfaction. It is also stated, emails can be a source of great stress for workers since they use it constantly throughout their workday.

“The issue of employees using BlackBerrys, computers and other devices out of working time is a growing one that needs to be addressed as it can be a source of stress,” said Trade Union Congress secretary general Brendan Barber.

Last month the Osterman Research Survey found that 83 percent of smartphone users in the United States checked worked related correspondence at home.

“It’s bad for the individual worker’s performance being online and available 24-7,” said Will Hutton, chair of the Big Innovation Centre at The Work Foundation; adding, “You do need downtime; you do need periods in which you can actually reflect on something without needing instantaneously to give a reaction.”

As reported by The Star, it’s just a matter of time before claims against companies are made by employees for electronic overtime. According to Clarke Silvergate, a Miami-based employment law firm, “A prudent employer would do well to address the issue before the storm hits.”



Jordan Eggers has five years of writing experience and has written pieces for various print outlets and websites. Currently living abroad, she is working as a freelance writer and enjoys keeping up-to-date on everything new happening in technology.

Edited by Jennifer Russell
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