Religion and Ethics Forum

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: Nearly Sane on August 30, 2018, 09:52:52 AM

Title: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Nearly Sane on August 30, 2018, 09:52:52 AM

Surely this is a no brainer, if you are doing work emails, you are working


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-45333270


Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Roses on August 30, 2018, 11:52:39 AM
Surely this is a no brainer, if you are doing work emails, you are working


https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/education-45333270

Hmmmmmmmm, not sure about that.
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Nearly Sane on August 30, 2018, 11:56:41 AM
Hmmmmmmmm, not sure about that.
Why not?
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Roses on August 30, 2018, 11:59:22 AM
Why not?

How can you concentrate properly on work related e-mails on a busy commuter train, especially if you have to stand?
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Nearly Sane on August 30, 2018, 12:02:08 PM
How can you concentrate properly on work related e-mails on a busy commuter train, especially if you have to stand?
Very easily.
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Roses on August 30, 2018, 12:14:05 PM
Very easily.

I don't agree.
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Nearly Sane on August 30, 2018, 12:17:07 PM
I don't agree.
So you know all about what other people are like and what they are able to do?
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: BeRational on August 30, 2018, 12:24:49 PM
I don't agree.

It's pretty normal now.

Do you or did you as part of your job?
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Maeght on August 30, 2018, 12:27:31 PM
So you know all about what other people are like and what they are able to do?

Seems the same could have been asked about your post.
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Nearly Sane on August 30, 2018, 12:29:19 PM
Seems the same could have been asked about your post.
In what way? If people are being productive while commuting it's a no brainer. Would they struggle to work in a 'busy office;?
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Roses on August 30, 2018, 12:34:25 PM
It's pretty normal now.

Do you or did you as part of your job?

They didn't have e-mails when I was a kid, which was when I last worked outside the home.
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Udayana on August 30, 2018, 12:57:39 PM
Surely it counts as unpaid overtime?
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Steve H on August 30, 2018, 01:00:24 PM
Personal emails read while supposedly working should count as not-work. Half the people at my mail centre spend half their time gazing at Satan's windows, as 'The Chap' magazine calls smartphones.
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: jeremyp on August 30, 2018, 01:47:25 PM
What is the point of the article? You don't have to answer work emails when you are on the train.
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: BeRational on August 30, 2018, 02:51:58 PM
They didn't have e-mails when I was a kid, which was when I last worked outside the home.

Then you cannot really comment on this with any experience.

It is my experience that this is pretty normal now.

Not only that, I will take my phone on holiday in a couple of weeks, and spend 20 minutes each evening looking for important emails.
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: jeremyp on August 30, 2018, 02:56:07 PM

Not only that, I will take my phone on holiday in a couple of weeks, and spend 20 minutes each evening looking for important emails.
Why? You're on holiday.
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: BeRational on August 30, 2018, 03:05:02 PM
Why? You're on holiday.

I'm important

Or I come back to a mess!
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: jeremyp on August 30, 2018, 03:33:32 PM
I'm important

Or I come back to a mess!
I assume that if a mess is occurring in my company, the staff will phone or text me.
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: BeRational on August 30, 2018, 03:46:24 PM
I assume that if a mess is occurring in my company, the staff will phone or text me.

They email me, and it comes from all over the business, and it is an international business.

I do not spend too much time, I was making the point that keeping up with emails is now quite normal.
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: ProfessorDavey on August 30, 2018, 05:21:48 PM
They email me, and it comes from all over the business, and it is an international business.

I do not spend too much time, I was making the point that keeping up with emails is now quite normal.
I also spend a little time checking e-mails while on holiday. Occasionally I deal with really critical issues, but my main reason is to keep on top of the number. It means I avoid the need to deal with thousands of e-mails on my return, most of which aren't important. The problem with dealing with such a number on your return to work is that it is far too easy to miss the important ones amongst the dross.

The other advantage is that I come back to work knowing I'm not going to walk into a crisis - pre-email I used to dread heading back into work after being away for a couple of weeks as I never knew whether some serious shit might have hit the fan in my absence.
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Maeght on August 30, 2018, 05:55:58 PM
In what way? If people are being productive while commuting it's a no brainer. Would they struggle to work in a 'busy office;?

LR said 'How can you concentrate properly on work related e-mails on a busy commuter train, especially if you have to stand?'

You said 'Very easily. '

LR said 'I don't agree.'

You said 'So you know all about what other people are like and what they are able to do?'

So surely your comment of 'Easily' suggests equally that you know what other people are like and what they are able to do.
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: jeremyp on August 30, 2018, 08:07:36 PM
LR said 'How can you concentrate properly on work related e-mails on a busy commuter train, especially if you have to stand?'

You said 'Very easily. '

LR said 'I don't agree.'

You said 'So you know all about what other people are like and what they are able to do?'

So surely your comment of 'Easily' suggests equally that you know what other people are like and what they are able to do.

Perhaps NS was speaking only for himself. Speaking only for myself, I have no trouble whatsoever in isolating myself from the environment of a commuter train in order to concentrate on specific tasks, although they tend not to be work related.
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: ProfessorDavey on August 30, 2018, 08:23:59 PM
Perhaps NS was speaking only for himself. Speaking only for myself, I have no trouble whatsoever in isolating myself from the environment of a commuter train in order to concentrate on specific tasks, although they tend not to be work related.
Likewise, except when it is so rammed that you can hardly breath!
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Maeght on August 30, 2018, 08:29:28 PM
Perhaps NS was speaking only for himself.

Yes, that could be the case of course.

Quote
Speaking only for myself, I have no trouble whatsoever in isolating myself from the environment of a commuter train in order to concentrate on specific tasks, although they tend not to be work related.

Thank fully I don't commute so don't have that problem. I do tend to look up work emails when at home, with the idea that I will be 'prepared' when I get to work and that that will make it easier but not sure it ever works that way.
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Rhiannon on August 30, 2018, 09:20:11 PM
NS, JeremyP and Prof D are all commutes who say that they can carry out tasks while commuting. I've seen people doing this on trains myself.

Seems that there's some evidence from those of us who use trains or commute that it's perfectly possible.
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Maeght on August 30, 2018, 09:44:56 PM
NS, JeremyP and Prof D are all commutes who say that they can carry out tasks while commuting. I've seen people doing this on trains myself.

Seems that there's some evidence from those of us who use trains or commute that it's perfectly possible.

But is it easy for everyone?
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Rhiannon on August 30, 2018, 09:46:33 PM
But is it easy for everyone?

Who said that it was?
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Maeght on August 30, 2018, 09:47:50 PM
Who said that it was?

Don't care to be honest.
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Rhiannon on August 30, 2018, 09:56:07 PM
Don't care to be honest.

Who doesn't?  ???
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Maeght on August 30, 2018, 10:06:51 PM
Who doesn't?  ???

Me. It was a passing comment of no great importance and can't be bothered with it anymore. Off to bed.
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Gordon on August 30, 2018, 10:07:07 PM
I'd imagine those skilled at using mobile phones, which are essentially small computers that are internet connected via wi-fi: would find it easy enough.

I'm long since retired but it seems to me, based on watching my older grandchildren who effortlessly send texts, browse the internet, watch videos and listen to music while I taxi them around: sometimes they even use their phones to make phone calls. I occasionally take the train into the centre of Glasgow myself and I see a fair number of my fellow passengers sitting holding devices and their fingers and thumbs are flying, so I'd image anyone commuting to work as a passenger could easily check and answer e-mails with even minimal space as long as they have enough to be able to use their phone.

Even I can sit on a train and check the racing results on my phone - so I'd imagine the likes of NS, Jeremy and Prof D could easily 'work' before they get to work. 
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Rhiannon on August 30, 2018, 10:23:54 PM
Am I missing something?
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: Sebastian Toe on August 31, 2018, 01:47:46 AM
Am I missing something?
A point? If I spot it I'll let you know!
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: jeremyp on August 31, 2018, 09:55:02 AM
NS, JeremyP and Prof D are all commutes who say that they can carry out tasks while commuting

To the point that I have occasionally missed my stop.
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: jeremyp on August 31, 2018, 09:59:46 AM
But is it easy for everyone?
Yes - well, a lot of people.

Unless the train is packed to the point where it is full of standing passengers (as per PD's comment), it is quite easy to work on a commuter train because everybody is busy trying to create a cocoon of isolation for themselves.
Title: Re: 'Emails read while commuting 'should count as work''
Post by: ProfessorDavey on August 31, 2018, 10:18:07 AM
Yes - well, a lot of people.

Unless the train is packed to the point where it is full of standing passengers (as per PD's comment), it is quite easy to work on a commuter train because everybody is busy trying to create a cocoon of isolation for themselves.
That's right - the whole point about commuting is that you do it every day so it becomes routine and individuals adapt to that routine. And that means that will use that commuting time for a whole range of activities that they seem to be able to do very comfortably - working is only one of them. Others include reading books, newspapers, endless engagement on social media, conducting phonecalls, doing makeup!! etc etc.

Not everyone works on the train, and not all types of work are most amenable to being conducted on the train - but I suspect most regular commuters are able to work on the train if they choose.