IT Management Slideshow:
No Holiday From Email

Do you sometimes get the feeling that you're NEVER completely “unplugged” from work? Even during the winter holiday season? Take heart: You're not alone. The vast majority of Americans say they check work-related e-mail accounts even during these special times of the year, according to a new survey from Xobni. Most employees check at least once a day. And here's a little secret – a number of us are choosing to look at work e-mails as a way of avoiding spending too much time with Mom, Dad, Uncle Louie, Aunt Ethel and the rest of the clan. But avoiding family members isn't the only reason we check our e-mail. The survey indicates that – in these shaky economic times – many professionals don't feel secure enough to disconnect entirely. Others actually view checking e-mail regularly during off-time as a way to reduce stress, as opposed to increasing it. These hardy souls figure that if they don't check e-mail during the break, they'll face a barrage of business-critical e-mails upon their return to the office. Harris Interactive conducted the research on behalf of Xobni, creator of an e-mail management tool for Microsoft Outlook. (The company name is “Inbox” spelled backward.) Nearly 2,200 adults took part in the survey. Here are selected highlights: