New research from the UK shows that the rise of mobile technology means that office workers are putting in an extra two hours a day from home, posing significant risks to health.
The study by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy (CSP) found the use of smartphones, tablets and laptops is making people "screen slaves" and they're having difficulty switching off from work.
The researchers warn that people risk neck and back pain, as well as stress-related illnesses, if they remain in thrall to phones and tablets.
They surveyed 2000 workers, 64 percent of whom said they used their devices after they left the office. The average out-of-office work time was two hours 18 minutes.
Sixty-six percent of respondents reported job-related health issues.
"The results of this survey are a huge concern to physiotherapists, who see the consequences of poor posture and bad working practices each day," CSP chairwoman Dr Helena Johnson said.
"While doing a bit of extra work at home may seem like a good short-term fix, if it becomes a regular part of your routine then it can lead to problems such as back and neck problems, as well as stress-related illness."
Melbourne career coach Kate James says 80 percent of her clients feel pressure to do more work outside of office hours.
"They're doing extra hours on their smartphones and finding it hard to switch off," she says. "Our bodies and our minds need rest times in order for us to recover, otherwise we get stressed and go into what's known as adrenal fatigue where our adrenal system doesn't let us unwind."
James advises her clients set a work deadline no later than one hour after your scheduled finish time, to change their colleagues' expectations.
"If you are finishing work at six, and if it's required that you are available a bit longer than that, cut it off at seven," she says.
"There have been studies showing that say people work less effectively after eight hours."
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