Discussion on:

Poll: Nearly two-thirds will check email on Thanksgiving, will you?

Original post:
http://blogs.techrepublic.com.com/hiner/?p=6938

I don't stop being social just because it's a feast holiday. As I understand it, people have been social on these days for centuries.

Anyone from the US who responds with a "NO" is obviously lying.

I am from the US, answered 'no,' and I am not lying. You forget that people can answer this question on the day after Thangsgiving.

The question was will you check your email ON Thanksgiving, not the day after after. Watch out for gators when you're out in your pirogue.

Its quite possible to log on to the internet on Thankgsiving day, read and post on TR, check a personal email account and whatever, without logging on to one's work email system.

So one could log on to TR on Thanksgiving, answer the poll responding no and not be lying.

the rest of us don't turn everything into a tall tale.

I feel especially interested about how many users check their _work_ email on Thanksgiving. On the other hand, as the article talks about Thanksgiving being one of the "two most leisurely of US holidays," I suppose the idea may have been implicit(?).

After all, I imagine a lot of folks will be checking their email for communications from family. E.g., I'll be doing a video chat with my mom, on Gmail, later today.

Since I work from home, I must check for messages 30+ times a day... heeee

I do IT work for a number of places and as most here know things come up often when you dont want them. I have servers emailing me daily reports on network and firewall's.
Got to do it right.

Money doesn't make itself. I will also be working later today, and tomorrow, and on Saturday too.

J.Ja

Im checking regualar email. No way will I check work, I dont even check them half the time I'm at work!

Though interesting the poll wont be accurate today! Goes without saying we wont be voting if we are not connected. Cant imagine having access and not checking in. If you use e-mail strictly for work can sure understand the discontent. A good poll might be, "will you shut off your phone today" or "are you working." Happy Thanksgiving to everyone.

I feel sorry for you. Seriously. I can't imaging having an electronic leash, especially not one I put on myself.

Thanks, but your pity is unwarranted. Thanksgiving day I found my in-box full of greetings from family and friends, pictures of grandchildren and a comforting word from the HOSPICE nurse taking care of my mom. I look forward to checking on Christmas too. Maybe its assumed that all e-mail is work but the survey didn't ask, "would you check and reply to work e-mail?" The mundane was filtered unless mark urgent for another time. Not checking for me would be the reclusive 1980's equivalent of not answering a knock at the door or unplugging the phone. In case you are wondering I didn't spend the day tied to a keyboard. Upon completion of checking my "electronic leash" I made the traditional trip to grandmothers house to find about 50 others. My hope for all was that they are happily surrounded by family and friends what ever the method.

Maybe its assumed that all e-mail is work but the survey didn't ask, "would you check and reply to work e-mail?"

In his closing paragraph, Jason writes "...tell us your holiday routine on keeping up with work."

I would (and did) check my personal email on a holiday; I check that daily. If I could ignore my work email on holidays and weekends, I would, but my job doesn't normally allow it. Christmas, the only day of the year when all my stores are closed, allows it.

"Maybe its assumed that all e-mail is work but the survey didn't ask, 'would you check and reply to work e-mail?' "

I surrender to your superior position.

I'm a geek, I check my e-mail during the Macy's parade.

Geeks don't watch the Macy's parade!

EVEN geeks watch a parade. We just don't necessarily use a TV.

I get updates on my phone whenever I get an email. I don't necessarily read all the emails I get (Thanksgiving or not) but I will definitely check the titles to see if it's something worth reading.

Checking on famiy mostly. And responding to posts.

But there really isn't much choice. If my teammate gets paged out, and another page comes in, I'm next in line. Or for that matter, if a page comes in for Myrtle Beach, like just now...

All of my stores are open for at least part of the day, some of them only close on Christmas Day.

The industry you work in can have a big impact on this issue. As you're saying Nick, you have to be available because of your work related to retail industry (which is busiest when the majority of the population is off work).

The other consideration is people who work with international colleagues that work in different time zones and don't celebrate this holiday at all. To them, this is obviously just a Thursday and they may still be conducting important business or meetings.

International colleagues with different work days.

For example, most Middle Eastern nations have either a Thursday-Friday weekend or a Friday-Saturday weekend. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workweek_and_weekend#Islamic_countries

Another good addition. Thanks Nick.

I was off camping. Our campground didn't have wifi, or even cell service. I was off the grid for 4 days.

I did charge my cell so that I would be able to use it on the way home.

What part of "I work to live not live to work" do some of you not get?

We, Canadians don't celebrate thanksgiving with the same passion as our American friends. For us, we get together with family but otherwise it's not that different from an average Saturday or Sunday. (it's a day off but nothing to get too pumped about)

If all I had to watch with my turkey was the CFL, I wouldn't be too excited either

You can't get by with just a 2 yard rush gain over and over.

oh!boy!

favors ditching the traditional Dallas and Detroit games. Instead play a game with two AFC teams, and one with two NFC teams. The winner then hosts Thankgiving games against a rotation of conference opponents until beaten. The new winner then assumes the home game advantage until knocked off.

I would bet that people who work to live are disgusted with their work. either stuck in a cubicle surrounded by the next nerf distraction, or simply find their work unfulfilling.

I would rather be one of those people that finds joy in my work, and consider myself living to work. I love what i do and everyone around me can see it.

I would have to say that if someone working to live built a house that I would not live under it's roof.

And, Yes I check my e-mail multiple times a day, multiple accounts a day, everyday.

When I was single, no dependants, I lived for work, and that was fine.

Now I have a family. I owe them my financial support. So I do work, and I am not at all disgusted with my work.

But I also owe myself and my family some quality family time. I'm certain if I gave them the option, they would turn down a nicer house and bigger allowances if it meant less time with them.

No one ever puts "loved his job" on a tombstone.

My employer actual promotes life/work balance. People who spend too much time in the office burnout, get sick and become less productive over time. We are very careful to ensure people don't work too much overtime and take their vacations.

I sometimes check my work email once when I get home from my hour commute, or once before I leave in the morning, but not often between. I am always available by cell if there is something really urgent.

Need a like minded subordinate who would like to work in such a culture?

If you thought that was a gratuitous violation of the TOS my intention was to show I agree with that thinking not to to relocate! LOL

I'm just sayin.....

Our age has nothing to do with our pride, our joy, our responsibility, or our commitment. Our source of reading material doesn't justify an outcome in our lives.

What does have weight in this world is our words and our actions, and if cited later in life for either of those things, I will take pride in knowing I didn't need justification for work I performed. I didn't need to "clarify" an action I chose to invoke.

as a quote
"What part of "I work to live not live to work" do some of you not get?"

that sentence was designed to invoke a response, if you don't think so maybe you should read the title of this post. And, if you do realize it then "what part of pride in your work don't you understand?"

after all, I'm just saying...

I also understand that I need to take time away from work to relax, so I can maintain the quality of my work.

That time away includes turning off the phone and not checking work email. It also includes time for your wife and children, should you have them. Read the lyrics to Harry Chapin's " Cat's in the Cradle" some time.

And still not "Live to work".

Your first reply to my post stated you "bet" that people with the "work to live not live to work" attitude were disgusted with their work and didn't take pride in it.

In short, you implied that if we didn't share your attitude, we were inferior beings, leading sad and pathetic lives. Deny it as I'm certain you will, but reread it and tell me it doesn't read that way.

I've had a successful and happy career in IT. I've won awards, gotten many promotions, been recognized on many occasions for contributions above and beyond my work.

But I still maintain that I work to live. Because my family comes before my work. If there was an absolute work need to temporarily put aside my family's need for a work emergency, I can and would do so. As I mentioned, I've answered work calls on Christmas day, come into the office in the middle of the night.

But to me thats a different situation than having a compellling need to check my work email when I'm at home. I won't say never. But I do believe that one can balance work and home priorities to an extent that you don't neglect the family for work interruptions without a real rational reason.

As I mentioned, before I had a family of my own, I did spend much of my free time on work issues, working unpaid overtime, throwing my body and soul into my career. But I'm at a different point in my life, and I don't mind sharing that.

I've had some serious family issues in my recent life. And every time a crisis has come up, and there have been several, my supervisors, senior management and successful people all of them, have said the same thing;"family comes first".

quote from JamesRL: Your first reply to my post stated you "bet" that people with the "work to live not live to work" attitude were disgusted with their work and didn't take pride in it.

When you quote someone, then quote them correctly. I typed and I quote "I would bet that people who work to live are disgusted with their work. either stuck in a cubicle surrounded by the next nerf distraction, or simply find their work unfulfilling." nowhere does this mention lack of pride, it does however mention disgust which would equate to loathing, or a strong dislike. I then go on to define a set of boundaries with wich to play inside; either you have toys to pass the time from one distraction to the next inside of a cubicle or you simply find your work unfulfilling. I would assume people who just have a job because it gives them money would find a reasonable amount of disgust in what they do. However that would be me Betting that people who work to live are disgusted with their work. oh man you caught me... que sera sera.

quote from JamesRL: In short, you implied that if we didn't share your attitude, we were inferior beings, leading sad and pathetic lives. Deny it as I'm certain you will, but reread it and tell me it doesn't read that way.

well I go onto type and I quote "I would rather be one of those people that finds joy in my work, and consider myself living to work. I love what I do and everyone around me can see it. I would have to say that if someone working to live built a house that I would not live under it's roof."

so let me get this straight in my head. If i were to assume/bet people who work to live are disgusted/loath/have a strong dislike with their work, and would not want to live in a house built by someone with that outlook; I then am implying, an ultimatum that if you don't agree with me you are inferior beings, leading sad and pathetic lives.

You are correct, I will deny it, tell him what he's won merv...
If twisting words is part of your profession then you have an A+ with five gold stars in my book.

Have a nice day.

Since you have already done the analysis, I'll say that you are spot on. Taken as a whole, your first post reads that people who work to live are sad and pathetic and take no pride in their work, exactly the way JamesRL read it.

And you question language skills while posting sentence fragments, using apostrophes in possessive pronouns, and not capitalizing properly.

Such an easy target...

I do speak a little French, not enough to be considered biligual.

And while those posts are not samples of my best work, believe it or not, I've been paid to write. But even if English was not my firsat langauge, that is no excuse to attempt a put down based on first langauge. Or do you embrace xenophobia?

Let me be clear here. You are deliberately choosing to not see beyond your own simplistic definitions. You cannot conceive that one could at the same time work to live, and have pride, fullfillment and joy in their work. How sad for you.

I can chose to both give my 40-50 hours a week to my employer, knowing that I give full measure and value during that time, and at the same time give a full measure of my time to my family.

I've spent over ten years supervising people, from server OS people to programmers and project managers. Yes, I've asked people to work overtime, and I've worked overtime myself, in order to meet an important deadline, or resolve a customers problem. But I would not ask people to do that as a permanent state. People who work "permanent" overtime often burnout. I've seen it and dealt with it. I've forced staff to take vacations because they continue to put in hours, their productivity sinks and their mental health deteriorates.

I do believe in maintaining a work/life balance. And I do believe that it is also in the best interests of my employer to encourage that as well.

You cannot seem to reconsile