Wired up with BlackBerry, Workers demand compensation

[nandagopal]

New York: The BlackBerry is a handy tool to keep yourself connected to work, however, sometimes working round the clock can be too much to handle.

Now, wired up workers in the US are demanding extra pay for all that extra work.

Many people find it difficult to imagine life without a BlackBerry. “I use it from the second I wake up to the second I go to bed,” says a Blackberry addict.

However, the device can be a drag. Wired up workers say they can’t even escape from their job even after they leave office and now they want to be paid for that extra work.

"I think we should be compensated for being asked to work outside office hours,” says a Blackberry user.

Writers and producers at ABC news demanded payment for after-work usage and reached a settlement with management.

"For some people, they feel like they're missing out on something. I think for others there really is a genuine fear that they'll appear to not to be a team player,” says, Life Coach, Valorie Burton.

And attorneys are sending a message to businesses preparing for legal action.

"Employers don't really perceive that there's a problem or an issue with employees using their blackBerries outside of work. They don't see it. I'm expecting a message right now,” says Attorney Jeffery Scholsberg.

Financier Andrew Tsunis is separated from his BlackBerry only when taking midday naps. He doesn't expect his employees to be messaging at night.

“I don't think that it is a good idea to compensate for being on the Blackberry all the time,” says Andrew Tsunis.