Employers may be liable for BlackBerry addiction "Many of us have thought of the BlackBerry as an addictive entity, but that belief may now have been validated by a study done by Gayle Porter and David Vance of Rutgers-Camden University and Nada Kakabadse of the University of Northampton in the United Kingdom. What is even more interesting about the study is that it suggests that this addiction may leave employers legally liable depending on whether the employer manipulates an individual's desire to work harder for the employer or whether the employee does it on his or her own for personal gain.

According to Porter, this potential liability means that employers should keep an eye out for BlackBerry addiction in their employees. Employers should also encourage employees to walk away from devices such as BlackBerrys and cellphones while on vacation. Not doing so may leave the employer responsible should employees develop an information and communication technology (ICT) addiction.

This study really makes you pause as to your work habits, especially while on vacation. I have to admit that I took my BlackBerry on vacation and I found myself literally trying to force myself not to look at incoming e-mails. The chance of missing an important e-mail was very overwhelming to me ... and that's when I knew I had a problem. After all, isn't that the first step to recovery?"Via PDAGeek .

I have to admit that I share in this addiction with chatter on my Treo 700p, on the weekends I have been turning off and tuning out.

  ¶ posted by Jimmie Geddes, Editor @ 8/24/2006 09:13:00 AM