Over a third of Australian employees are being hounded by their bosses outside of working hours according to a survey of 1,792 employees by LinkMe.com.au.

Over half (53.5 percent) of these employees say that they value their jobs and are therefore afraid to tell their bosses that they object to this contact for fear of the repercussions. A further third (30.8 percent) object but say nothing.

The majority of this contact is via mobile telephone calls (81.9 percent), followed by email (42.6 percent) and SMS (33.6 percent) and in many cases a combination of all three.

There is no doubt that advancing technologies and greater connectivity mean that the modern employee is far more contactable than ever before, says Campbell Sallabank of LinkMe.com.au. Whilst these technologies can be a very positive thing and provide for an increase in the flexibility of working conditions, they are also open to abuse from fellow workers and particularly those in positions of authority.

Over half of employees agree and blame technology for this increase in contact (56.5 percent) and the blurring of lines between work and play. Despite the fact that many employees object to this blurring, this heightened connectivity makes it hard for employees to know where to draw the line – 30 percent of employees consistently check emails outside of work hours and a worrying 23.2 percent check emails whilst on holiday.

Only 15.9 percent of respondents are able to make the statement My time is my time, when Im out of work no-one can reach me, a definition that many employees would prefer to live by, says Sallabank.

The Newshounds view?

Its pretty simple: turn off your phone. And if youre checking your email on holiday, dont take your laptop to the beach.

Saltwater, sand and computers dont mix all that well anyway 🙂