A Rutgers University study may suggest that employers may be responsible for your eventual BlackBerry addiction stemming as a result of you pecking away at those keys at all hours of the night. This sounds as ridiculous to us as employers being responsible for you internet addiction, your caffeine addiction, or your sanitary-toilet-seat-cover addiction.
According to Porter, this potential liability means that employers should keep an eye out for BlackBerry addiction in their employees. Employers should also encourage employees to walk away from devices such as BlackBerrys and cellphones while on vacation. Not doing so may leave the employer responsible should employees develop an information and communication technology (ICT) addiction.
So as long as an employer doesn’t force an employee to stay connected, answering emails whenever they come in, I don’t think it’s feasible to hold them liable for your so-called BlackBerry addiction. Personal responsibility, folks.
Press Release [Rutgers via Geek.com via ZDNet]