A company mobile phone or laptop might seem like a perk of the job but it could spell disaster for personal relationships, a new study has found.

最新研究發現，員工配有公司移動電話或筆記本電腦似乎是個工作福利，但也會影響他們的人際關系。

Modern gadgets which allows workers to be perpetually on-call or able to check emails can put a huge strain on life outside of the office.

這些能讓員工隨叫隨到或者隨時查收電子郵件的現代化小設備，也給他們工作外的私人生活增添了巨大壓力。

A British study, carried out by psychologists from the University of Surrey, analysed 65 previous surveys involving 50,000 employees to determine the consequences of having constant access to work.

英國薩里大學（University of Surrey）的心理學家們進行了一項研究，他們通過之前有5萬員工參與的65份調查，分析了長期需要工作待命的后果。

They found that those who ‘switched on’ long after the office was shut were more likely to have problems with their health and private lives.

研究人員發現，那些在下班后還要保持“電話通暢”的員工可能面臨更多健康和私人生活問題。

The use of mobile phones and laptops increasingly ‘blurred’ the boundaries between work and home life ‘causing work-family conflict’ the authors concluded.

他們總結說，使用公司移動電話和電腦會讓工作和生活之間的界限日益“模糊”，并會造成“工作與家庭的沖突”。

The studies showed that although smartphones and tablets are often billed as helping to workers to be more flexible with their time, they actually caused employees to work longer hours.

該研究表明，雖然智能手機和平板電腦讓員工的工作時段更有彈性，但實際上是延長了工作時間。

“The overall amount of time which is actually spent with one’s family and with engagement in self-related activities is reduced by (mobile phone and laptop) use,” the report found.

報告指出，“我們陪伴家人和參加活動的時間被看手機和玩電腦占用了。”

The researchers discovered that workers increasingly face a strong expectation to be available 24/7 and few feel able to switch off.

研究人員發現，越來越多的員工要面臨每周7天，每天24小時的待命，很少有人敢關閉公司發配的設備。

Svenja Schlater who led the study said bosses needed to ‘rethink’ whether it was sensible for employees to be in constant contact.

該研究的負責人Svenja Schlater表示，老板們需要“反思”讓員工長時間待命是否合理。

“Staying 'switched on' might increase flexibility and efficiency at first glance, but in the long run, it can result in longer work hours and can be detrimental to wellbeing due to stress and work-life balance issues, “she said.

她說：“乍看之下，保持電話暢通能提高工作靈活性和效率，但從長遠來看，它會造成工作時間的延長，并且由于壓力和公私生活失衡，員工的健康會受到影響。”

"We need to re-think unlimited 24/7 access to work, and manage technology use more wisely and in particular, more actively.

“我們需要反思全天候待命的工作模式，并且更明智、更靈活地使用管理技巧。”

"Researchers, employers and employees need to work jointly on how to make the use of technologies as beneficial as possible, reducing the negative effects. Otherwise, there is a danger of unintended knock-on effects."

“研究人員、雇主和雇員應該為達成有效的管理技巧而共同努力，降低其負面影響。否則會釀成意想不到的連鎖危機。”

Ms Schlater added: "Families are understandably annoyed when someone is checking their mobile phones throughout dinner. It can cause problems within relationships and communication.

她補充說：“某人在飯桌上翻閱手機會引起家人的反感。這就造成了家人之間的關系緊張和溝通障礙。”

"And workers themselves need to realise that they should not be contacting colleagues after hours, as they will be pressuring them to reply."

“而員工也需要知道，他們在下班后不應再聯系同事，因為這迫使對方不得不做出答復。”

According to telecoms regulator Ofcom, 61 per cent of UK adults now say they own a smartphone, while household take-up of tablet computers has almost doubled over the past year to 44 per cent.

根據英國通信管理局（Ofcom）的調查，61%的的英國成年人擁有智能手機，而家用平板電腦的持有率在過去一年里翻了一番，達到44%。

Research by Ofcom found that around thirty per cent of smartphone users say they regularly take part in personal phone calls during working hours, compared with 23 per cent of regular mobile phone users.

該調查發現，30%的智能手機用戶表示，他們在工作時段常接聽私人電話，相比之下只有23%的的普通手機用戶有此情況。

However, smartphone users are more likely to take part in work calls while on holiday or annual leave.

然而，智能手機用戶在假期或年假時更容易接到工作電話。

Recent research by employment law specialist Blake Morgan found more than half of workers feel they are expected to work faster and hit deadlines sooner as a result of this new connectedness to mobiles and laptops, while nearly half believe their employers now expect them to be available any time, anywhere.

雇傭法專家布萊克?摩根（Blake Morgan）在他最新的研究中指出，超過一半的員工表示由于手機和電腦被頻繁運用到工作中，上級們對他們的工作速度要求更高了。而有近一半的員工甚至認為老板已經要求他們在任何時間、地點都隨叫隨到。

（譯者：zoe212，編輯：Julie）