Workers say they are getting too much email and they want their employers to help rein it in, new research finds. A majority of workers in a survey said they are in favor of their company enacting policies that would eliminate the number of irrelevant emails they receive from fellow employees.
Three-quarters of employees and even more executives and middle managers agreed email is a necessary and effective communication tool. However, the research found that the average middle manager spends more 100 hours a year on irrelevant emails.
The results leave managers and employees wishing for fewer emails but insisting that their access to emails be left alone.
"We've seen companies around the world experimenting with email black-outs or time-outs," said David Grossman, founder and chief executive of the Grossman Group, the communication consultants that conducted the research. "However, our research reveals that's not the most effective approach. We know employees are overloaded by their inboxes and it's causing them stress, yet our research shows it's email misbehaviors that need to be addressed."
