Bosses pull plug on email

COMPANIES are taking drastic action to get staff out of their inboxes and into some good old-fashioned hard work by launching "no email days".

Intel is the latest in a long line of businesses to implement such a scheme with weekly "quiet time", half a day when 150 of its engineers revert to phone or face-to-face communication.

Intel chief executive Paul Otellini had criticised engineers "who sit two cubicles apart sending an email rather than get up and talk''.

The idea is not new, with US firms reaping the benefits of shutting down inboxes periodically.

Bosses feel it means better teamwork, happier customers and faster problem-solving.

According to US research firm The Radicati Group, individual workers sent an average of 37 emails a day in 2006, set to rise to 47 before 2008.

A Scottish study found many checked inboxes 30 to 40 times an hour.

"There was a mismatch between how often people thought they looked at their inbox and how often they actually did it,'' said Mario Hare, a lecturer at the University of Paisley.

But not everyone is convinced switching email off is the answer to stress and poor productivity.

"Instead of bringing email to a grinding halt at the end of the week, which just means most of Monday is wasted catching up, companies need to educate their staff on appropriate email use and management,'' said Alan Elliot, director of business development of email specialists Mirapoint.

Yet Mr Hare believes email-free days can be particularly useful for workers who need to concentrate for long periods.

He is working on some email add-ons to give power back to recipients, such as providing a time for when a reply is expected as well as a ranking system for messages.

Do you rely too heavily on email? Does it get in the way of your work? Would you like a "no email day"? Tell us