"Who's Running the Machine?" A Theoretical Exploration of Work Stress and Burnout of Technologically Tethered Workers

A recent survey of the mental health of Canadian workers has suggested that the use of information and communications technologies (ICTs) such as wireless e-mail devices either maintains or increases employees’ level of stress. This article explores this finding in more detail and concludes that individual coping strategies employed by workers to minimize the impact of stress are threatened by the ubiquitous communication delivered by ICTs. This in turn can have a negative impact on employee mental health and consequently may lead to negative organizational outcomes. The concept of the technologically tethered worker is introduced, and several propositions are developed for future empirical study. In a recent survey of the health of Canadian workers commissioned by Desjardins Financial Security it was reported that 62 percent of workers claimed they had some form of information and communications technology (ICT) such as a cell phone, wireless e-mail device, personal computer, or pager that allowed the employer to reach them at any time [1]. Furthermore, 54 percent of these workers reported that the use of ICTs maintained their existing stress level, while 29 percent reported an increase in their level of stress through the use of this technology [1]. Given that stress has a direct impact on the mental health of