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68% of Americans check their work emails before 8 a.m.
Contributed by Graham Macdonald
MBMG International Ltd.
Nominated for the Lorenzo Natali Prize
Work and personal life blend, as people stay in the loop while on
the go.
Good Technology has announced that the average American puts in more than a
month and a half of overtime a year - just by answering calls and emails at
home.
In a survey of US working adults sponsored by Good Technology, more than 80%
of people continue working when they have left the office - for an average
of seven extra hours each week - almost another full day of work. That’s a
total of close to 30 hours a month or 365 extra hours every year. They’re
also using their cell phones to mix work and their personal life in ways
never seen before.
While 60% do it simply to stay organized, almost half feel they have no
choice because their customers demand quick replies. Thirty-one percent of
respondents admit to continuing to work at home as they find it hard to
‘switch off.’ Half of Americans can’t even put their phone down while in
bed, as they read or respond to work emails after climbing under the covers.
This overtime has become so commonplace that only a quarter of the 1,000
workers polled said it caused an occasional disagreement with their partner.
In what points to changing attitudes to mobile work, well over half surveyed
reported no arguments whatsoever from their spouse or significant other over
answering email or making work calls at home.
John Herrema, Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy for mobile
security software company Good Technology, says: “In today’s ‘always on’
mobile environment, secure access to corporate email and apps is a ‘must
have’ vs. a ‘nice to have’ for nearly all companies. While most of our
customers believe their employees do work more hours as a result of this
accessibility, they also appreciate and welcome the enhanced work-life
balance that comes when employees have more freedom and choice to get work
done whenever and wherever they need to - whether that’s in the office, on
the road, or while sitting in the stands at a child’s baseball game.”
“When it comes to supporting a ‘bring your own device’ environment, it’s
important to take an approach that ensures data security without
compromising the employee’s privacy or personal experiences. By shifting
their management focus from ‘devices’ to ‘apps’ and ‘data’, enterprises can
allow employees to get work done on the go whenever they want, and still
keep personal information private, separate and safe.”
The study also revealed:
* 68% of people check their work emails before 8 a.m.
* The average American first checks their phone around 7:09 a.m.
* 50% check their work email while still in bed
* The work day is growing - 40 percent still do work email after 10 p.m.
* 69% will not go to sleep without checking their work email
* 57% check work emails on family outings
* 38% routinely check work emails while at the dinner table
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Pattaya plans for visit of 10,000 Chinese tourists
Tour guides from the C.C.T. Express Co., Ltd.
show their readiness for the predicted influx of Chinese tourists this
month.
Warunya Thongrod
Pattaya officials are preparing for a visit from a Chinese tour
company that could bring as many as 10,000 mainland visitors to the city
through Nov. 20.
The city welcomed the Pro-Health China Tour group to Pattaya Nov. 8 with a
reception at the Alangkarn Theatre. The company, which met three days
earlier with city officials to plan logistics for the trip, said groups of
800 tourists would be arriving in waves, visiting Pattaya, Bangkok and
Ayutthaya.
Pattaya officials said they expected such a large influx of tourists could
present traffic and security problems. The city planned to dispatch traffic
police and civil-defense volunteers to help manage traffic and parking.
During their stay, the tourists plan to visit Walking Street, Koh Larn, the
Tiffany Show, Alangkarn Theatre, Nong Nooch Tropical Garden and King Power.
“It is of absolute necessity to prepare an excellent welcome for this tour
group since Pattaya has worked hard by travelling abroad to form
relationships including building confidence for foreigner regarding safety,”
said Pattaya Permanent Secretary Pakorn Sukhonthachat.
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Finance Minister: Obama policies may affect baht
US President Barack Obama’s policy will contribute to weakening the US
dollar and will add significant pressure leading to the strengthening of
currencies in the Asian region, including the baht, Deputy Prime Minister
and Finance Minister Kittiratt Na Ranong said today.
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister
Kittiratt Na Ranong.
Obama’s re-election will support the continued implementation of his
administration’s economic policies, particularly a third round of
quantitative easing, or QE3.
However, the Bank of Thailand (BoT) has measures to stabilize the baht from
further appreciation in comparison with other trade partners and business
competitors.
Meanwhile, the government will focus on managing the balance of supply and
demand of foreign currencies. The government will also support mega
investments in the state sector and facilitate private investment in other
countries.
It will extend tax privilege measures for private companies to import
machines to replace labor.
“Regarding the baht valuation, it is not necessary to intervene in the
market but to adjust balance between demand and supply. Thailand does not
need to achieve a current account and trade surplus all the time. When it is
the right time, it should invest to help ease pressure on the baht,”
Kittiratt said. (MCOT)
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Obama victory positive for Thailand, Asia
A senior Thai Fiscal Policy Office (FPO) official on Tuesday said the
re-election of President Barack Obama will bring a positive economic impact
to Thailand and Asia as a whole given the continuity of US policy.
FPO director-general Somchai Sajjapong said that President Obama’s victory
would help the United States continue its economic relations, trade and
investments with other countries.
President Obama will focus on diplomatic moves in US relations with other
countries, which Somchai said will be positive to US trade and investments
abroad including Thailand.
The director-general also viewed that the investment atmosphere will
improve, for Asian countries will benefit from the US unlocking ‘fiscal
cliff’ changes as hoped by investors.
Somchai said he believes such measures will be accepted and benefit the US
economy itself as well as Thailand, for the United States is one of
Thailand’s main export markets. If the US economy recovers, it would help
the Thai export sector to revive and may offset market problems in the
troubled European Union (EU).
However, he said other factors to be considered concerning the US election’s
impact on the Thai economy would depend also on world oil prices, currency
exchange rates, and political factors.
Thailand’s finance ministry remains confident that economic growth this year
will reach 5.5 percent and 5.2 percent next year.
Meanwhile, PTT Global Chemical president Anon Sirisaengtaksin said Obama’s
re-election will not change US economic policies which will focus on
tackling unemployment through domestic investment encouragement and adjusted
tax measures to help stimulate domestic spending.
Anon said the US will focus on promoting domestic shale gas production in
order to lower oil imports, which will help create jobs for Americans but
that will take time. The next two years could see oil prices as high as
US$100/barrel. (MCOT)
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Myanmar ministers visit Thailand’s Maptaput as example for industrial development
Myanmar ministers visited the Maptaput industrial estate in Rayong to gain
insights for industrial development in their own country.
Deputy Transport Minister Prasert Jantararuangtong together with Industrial
Estate Authority of Thailand (IEA) Governor Veerapong Chaiperm and Rayong
Governor Vichit Chartpaisit jointly welcomed a delegation of high-ranking
officials from Myanmar.
The Myanmar visitors included were Industry Minister U Aye Myim, Transport
Minister U Ham Sien, and Energy Minister U Myo Aung. They were studying the
industrial estate’s management, Maptaput port, and the BLCP power plant.
Prasert said the visit is to help guide Myanmar’s development of a deep-sea
port and the Dawei industrial estate, as well as considering transportation
routes linking the new facilities with Thailand.
The very large scale project will be a new gateway to the region and serve
as a primary regional logistics and trade centre. (MCOT)
Switzerland keen to invest in Thailand
Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul.
Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said Switzerland is seeking trade
and investment opportunities in Thailand due to the Eurozone economic
crisis.
The foreign minister met the media after bilateral talks with Swiss Foreign
Minister Didier Burkhalteron on the sidelines of the 5th Bali Democracy
Forum (BDF) which ended last week.
Surapong reported that his Swiss counterpart said his country is looking for
opportunities for more trade and investment in Asia as the eurozone
countries are in an extended economic crisis.
He said Switzerland is keen to invest in Thailand as a gateway to the
Association of Southeast Asian (ASEAN), a region whose markets it wants to
penetrate.
Most important, Surapong said, is that Switzerland wants to see stable
politics in Thailand as well as national reconciliation.
The Swiss foreign minister said his country is willing to support Thailand’s
approach to reconciliation and is ready to provide knowledge and its own
experience for the kingdom.
Surapong said that he has asked the Swiss government to support Thailand’s
application to become a non-permanent member of the United Nations Security
Council.
He said, according to Didier, the Swiss government welcomed Thailand’s
request. (MCOT)
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