Editorial: Price we pay for progress

It's hard to measure the slow creep of technology on our daily lives.

Often it chips away slowly with each advancement or new gadget that comes on the market. I am fascinated by technology and the way it can revolutionise the way we do things.

In saying that, I have little to no understanding of how most of it works and, until now, I have never thought to ask: What impact will this new technology have on my life?

However, that's the question Tauranga Chamber of Commerce chief executive Max Mason says employers should consider for their employees before handing them a work smartphone.

As we reported on Saturday, he believes employers should be putting smartphone policies in place before a test of work-life boundaries ends up in court.

Employment experts say smartphones and similar devices have now become an essential tool - but many employers have not caught up with fast-changing technology to put new rules in place to prevent burn-out and protect confidentiality.

Mr Mason says while smartphones offer gains in productivity, the devices, which allow you to stay connected to the office, have impacted on work-life balance and he feel it is only a matter of time before health and safety issues over the use of smartphones ended up in court.

He is supported by an employment law specialist who says when a worker takes phone calls at home, it could cause issues over whether they could claim to be working and, if so, whether they are entitled to overtime or time in lieu.

The devices are also impacting on relationships.

Counsellor Mary Hodson says she regularly sees couples for whom smartphones are a problem because it means they are on duty all of the time.

It is a timely reminder that the benefits associated with technology often come at a cost.