Thanks to technology, now anywhere can effectively be a workplace. As a result, there are very few places where employees cannot be connected. When travelling, for example, employees can now continue to work as normal should they wish to do so.
In today’s busy world, such periods of additional work time can be a god send. This week, however, I had a stark reminder of why this may not always be a good idea. Travelling home from a meeting in central London on a crowded rush hour commuter train, we were only a few minutes into the journey when I realised I could clearly hear one voice over the general noise.
After a minute or two, it became apparent that this individual was on a work call with a disgruntled employee. It then quickly became clear that the call was disciplinary in nature, addressing issues such as working hours not being fulfilled, unauthorised sickness absence, poor management and numerous issues in the relationship between the employee at the other end of the phone and her line manager.
During the call, my fellow passenger frequently referred to both the employee to whom they were speaking, her line manager and other members of her team by name, as well as referencing the nature of her role and the organisation’s business. For someone in the same line of business, I doubt it would have taken much to be able to identify the organisation.
The conversation then turned to the mental wellbeing issues currently experienced by some of the team, and what support they had been offered. While no names were mentioned, I couldn’t help but feel uncomfortable about this. I certainly wouldn’t be happy to discover any such challenges I may be experiencing had been discussed in such a public place.
At no point was I actively trying to listen to this conversation. The individual was seated at least six rows in front of me, however, was speaking loudly enough that their voice carried. Given that all seats and standing room in the carriage were taken, this is a large number of people who wouldn’t have been able to help overhearing.
Now, I’m by no means judging as I don’t know the circumstances surrounding, or background to, the call, but it did make me stop and think.
When should work stop? While there are undoubtedly benefits to being able to continue to work on the move, how can organisations ensure all employees adhere to guidelines and protocols around this to avoid inadvertently sharing sensitive information?
If it can be avoided, should employers instead encourage employees to switch off and take a break in certain situations, with the added benefit of giving them time to step away and recharge?
How would you handle such a situation?
Debbie Lovewell-Tuck
Editor
@DebbieLovewell
