In a day and age when most Americans seem to be always plugged in to one or more electronic communication devices, many employers now feel their employees should be reachable 24-7, 365 days a year.

Always “on call”, as it were.

Whether driving, sleeping, sitting in a deer stand, even on properly scheduled vacation with the family, no time in the life of an employee, and no activity is sacrosanct. It’s now become impossible for many American workers to step back from the cares of work to recharge their emotional and creative “batteries”. To have quality family time. To gain perspective.

And we’re not talking physicians, CEO’s and heads-of-state who have willingly traded their private time for high levels of power and top salaries, we’re talking work-a-day white collar professionals and middle managers. We’re talking technicians, skilled laborers, and even hourly wage earners.

24/7 “on call” is simply an unsustainable workplace model.

Not since the mid-1800′s have American employers had so much control over their workers, and this country had to have a bloody civil war to rectify that sorry and sad situation.

Unless this “on constant call” situation changes soon, it’s more than possible we are all headed for another mass meltdown.