Should Companies Start Specifying Regulations for Blackberry Use?

The “Naked CIO” has an interesting proposal:

Organizations must start to develop standards and guidelines for out-of-hours use of devices such as BlackBerrys and other remote working tools.

They must also explicitly state what is expected of employees who use these devices and whether their compensation includes out-of-hours access.

Sounds good right? Maybe not.

The rationale behind this is of course, the protection of the employees’ personal lives from the so-called Crackberry phenomenon. By making expectations clear, workers are freed from worrying about any unanswered mail as they try to enjoy their off-time.

But this could have a scary side-effect. Once employers start specifying how much attention employers should give their office gadgets away from the office, won’t this be a license for them to start imposing even more on the employee’s personal space?

In other words, won’t businesses start saying “hey, we’re giving you a raise, but you have to be available 24/7″? What’s to keep them from doing so (and getting away with it), as office politics and competition will force people to step up or lose opportunities for advancement?

But then again, it can be argued that employers who are willing to do this aren’t really worth working for—at any price. It’s still up to the employee whether or not they agree to a setup, if and when it becomes a reality. Hopefully, employers who respect the personal time of their most valuable assets may end up attracting the best and brightest talent, diminishing or even eliminating any incentive to request constant availability from employees.