Mac Korasani, 23, gets dragged back to work at all hours, checking emails on his iPad and phone.
Source: Herald Sun

IF you think you are sick of work, you are probably right.

Many Aussies are suffering a never-ending working week as technology brings the office to the home, sparking numerous health problems.

Back issues, mental fatigue, wrist, eye and thumb strain, exhaustion, stress and relationship woes are among the ailments of the modern professional, experts say.

Does your work make you sick? Have your say below.

The working day can now start and end in bed as tech-savvy Australians check emails and do business on smartphones and tablets.

Psychology Melbourne consultant psychologist Jeff Roberts said some clients were still responding to work emails in bed as late as 1am.

"People are expected to be accessible 24/7 . . . and it throws off the life balance - their private life is

compromised,'' Dr Roberts said.

"They don't know how to manage the technology and it is starting to control their lives . . . making people irritable and more stressed.''

ABS figures show Australians worked an average of 39.5 hours a week between May 2009 and May 2012.

But UniSA Centre for Work + Life associate professor Sara Charlesworth said many would not count the increasing hours out of the office as the boundaries of a working day become blurred.

"Work no longer knows the boundaries of four walls of the office,'' Prof Charlesworth said.

"Some people will try and clear the decks and check emails before they come in.

"The long hours are one of the ramifications of restructuring and down-sizing. People are often doing two jobs and feeling work overload and stress.''

Di Palmer, a health facilitator at Work Smart Health, said working around the clock could manifest in a range of physical and mental health issues.

Mac Korasani, 22, a marketing assistant at mobile application developer b2cloud, said he enjoyed the constant connectivity, even checking work emails at midnight.

"A lot of the stuff we do is online, so we always have to be switched on - there's always someone awake in another country,'' Mr Korasani said.

"I enjoy it. It's quite fun switching between work and family life.''

HOW TO BALANCE YOUR LIFE

1 Set limits. When you are at home allocate blocks of work-free time

2 Look closely at how many hours you work in the office and at home

3 Prioritise what is important to you according to your core values

4 Speak with your partner and children about work-life balance and where changes can be made

5 Have some rules about technology limits and when to switch off the phone at night

Source: Psychology Melbourne