Executives Divided Over Technologyís Impact On Work-Life Balance

With recent advances in technology enabling executives to conduct business around the clock from nearly any location, work-life boundaries appear to be blurring, according to a recent survey conducted by leading executive career management and recruiting network, ExecuNet.

A majority of executives (61%) report that their company expects them to be accessible outside of working hours, 29% say being available after hours and on the weekends is ìnot mandated, but implied,î and just 10% believe they are not expected to be within reach of their employer after leaving the office.

ìThe same technology that enables executives to be highly productive while on the road can also keep them tethered to the office around the clock,î says Dave Opton, CEO and Founder of ExecuNet. ìWith many professionals Many professionals are finding themselves torn between the benefits of being released from the office while still keeping up with work and being asked to take on more responsibility with less support, achieving a healthy work-life balance becomes more challenging with as each new innovation that brings the office closer to home.î

According to the survey of 155 executives, 67% have worked remotely ñ spending an average of 11.4 hours a week performing business-related tasks outside of the office. While a wide majority (78%) use a mobile internet device such as a Blackberry or Trio to stay connected to their office, just slightly more than half (56%) believe these devices have actually improved their work-life balance ñ the remaining 44% say they have not improved their ability to balance their business and personal lives.

The survey also reveals that more than half of all executives (56%) are ìvery likelyî to check e-mail while on vacation, 36% are ìsomewhat likely,î and just 8% are ìnot at all likelyî to read their messages while taking time off.

ìWith the war for executive talent growing more pronounced every day, work-life balance concerns loom large for many companies,î says Opton. ìExecutives working twenty-four hours a day ñ seven days a week ñ donít need to look too far to find greener pastures.î

ExecuNet, the leading executive-level career building, business and recruiting network, provides exclusive access to confidential six figure job listings, expert advice, and high-level business connections for professionals while helping corporate and search firm recruiters find qualified executive candidates. Founded in 1988, ExecuNet helped transform the executive recruiting industry by launching the first website designed to bring senior-level professionals and search firms together in a cooperative and confidential environment.

Based in Norwalk, Connecticut, ExecuNet is a recognized authority in executive recruiting trends and proprietary employment market research. For more information, visit: