COULD 'E-MAIL-FREE' FRIDAYS REPLACE KHAKIS AND KNIT SHIRTS?
We all know that e-mail is turning into a huge time and productivity sink, but one lone crusader in Silicon Valley is trying to do something about it. Two months ago Jeremy Burton at Veritas Software decreed that Fridays in his marketing department were to be "e-mail free" -- employees who needed to communicate with each other were instructed to stop by and chat or use the phone. "E-mail is supposed to be this big productivity tool, but it's getting to the point where it is out of control," says Burton, who complains that he was regularly spending two hours a day just dealing with e-mail. The ban applies only to interdepartmental communications and violators are fined $1 per transgression, with the proceeds going toward charity (so far, almost $70 has been collected). Many workers have endorsed the ban, noting the advantages of face-to-face conversations, and Burton says he plans to continue the policy indefinitely. (Wall Street Journal 26 Aug 2004- Newsscan Extract)
We all know that e-mail is turning into a huge time and productivity sink, but one lone crusader in Silicon Valley is trying to do something about it. Two months ago Jeremy Burton at Veritas Software decreed that Fridays in his marketing department were to be "e-mail free" -- employees who needed to communicate with each other were instructed to stop by and chat or use the phone. "E-mail is supposed to be this big productivity tool, but it's getting to the point where it is out of control," says Burton, who complains that he was regularly spending two hours a day just dealing with e-mail. The ban applies only to interdepartmental communications and violators are fined $1 per transgression, with the proceeds going toward charity (so far, almost $70 has been collected). Many workers have endorsed the ban, noting the advantages of face-to-face conversations, and Burton says he plans to continue the policy indefinitely. (Wall Street Journal 26 Aug 2004- Newsscan Extract)
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