Many IT employees are now expected to be available 24/7

[Newsjock]

Source: Computerworld

... With smartphones and Web access pretty much standard fare among business professionals, people in a broad range of IT positions -- not just on-call roles like help desk technician or network administrator -- are expected to be an email or text message away, even during nontraditional working hours.

The results of Computerworld's 2014 Salary Survey confirm that the "always-on" mentality is prevalent in IT. Fifty-five percent of the 3,673 respondents said they communicate "frequently" or "very frequently" with the office in the evening, on weekends and holidays, and even when they're on vacation.

... TEKsystems reported similar findings in its "Stress & Pride" survey issued last May. According to the IT services and staffing firm, 41% of those polled said they were expected to be available 24/7 while 38% said they had to be accessible only during the traditional work hours of 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. The remaining 21% fell somewhere in between.

... Around-the-clock accessibility is not only part of the IT job description today, it's the reality of staying relevant in a climate where so many IT roles are outsourced overseas, according to Meadows. "Work can be done much cheaper in India, Russia or China," he says. "So you need to be able to get things done as fast as stuff happens in other places, and many more work hours are required to make that happen. When you sign up for this job, that's just the way it is."

Read more: http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9247270/The_always_on_IT_culture_Get_used_to_it

[CrispyQ]

1. Typical IT move -- they put you on salary & give you a laptop & smart phone.

My last corporate IT job, I finally kept track of how many hours I worked for two weeks. When I calculated my hourly rate I looked at my husband & said, "I haven't worked this cheap in years." I gave notice the next day. Now, I don't make as much, but my time is my own when I'm at home.

[Xithras]

2. It's been standard in IT for years.

"Skilled computer professionals" are exempt from mandatory overtime laws. IT employers take advantage of this by giving their employees a salary to eliminate hourly pay concerns, and classifying them as overtime-exempt computer professionals.

My current job requires that we respond to management email inquiries within two hours...even on our days off. And if a client system goes down at 3AM, we're VPN'ed into the network from home and working on the problem by 3:15AM. SLA's don't care whether you've had your beauty sleep.

There's a reason why tech jobs have a disturbingly large burnout rate nowadays.

[leftyohiolib]

3. they expect it cause they know people will do it

there must be a way to unionize it workers

[crazylikafox]

4. Now???? It's been that way for over 30 years, in my experience.

Nothing new here. I started working my first IT job in 1985, & one of the first things they did was install a computer in my bedroom, so I could handle night time calls. LOL. It was called a DecWriter (sp?), & it didn't even have a screen, so you couldn't see what you were typing. I really used to sweat those night time calls. It only got worse. I retired 7 yrs ago, because my old body just couldn't handle the stress & lack of sleep.

[KT2000]

5. sounds like SIL

She works in IT for a US company owned by a holding company. She works a full plus day and she works from home communicating with satellite offices in Europe and manufacturing facilities and offices in China. She sleeps off and on, with her head on the kitchen table - or - sitting in a chair in the living room.
Went on a trip with her once and she spent the whole time "working" on her computer.

I can't say it has done much good for her health - mental and physical.

[snooper2]

6. LOL, sure computerworld...it's the "new" rage (idiotic article)

At least now I can work from home when shit hits the fan and I've got an SBC that handles 13,000 sessions on average crash and I don't have to drive into work...

Let me recount the times I had to sit in my cube at WorldCom in the 1990's "in case" something happened-

Yo Computerworld, remember these things