Instant messaging helps tardy employees
A NEW STUDY SHOWS that rather than slowing down worker productivity, installing instant messaging onto computers can reduce distractions.
Boffins at Ohio State University and University of California found that IM users suffered from less distractions than colleagues who did not partake.
However the study seemed to indicate that the problem was not the technology, but when it was used alongside phone and email communications. If workers used all three, then instant messaging was a distraction. However, when it was used as a substitute for other, more disruptive forms of communication such as the telephone, e-mail, and face-to-face conversations it was extremely effective.
According to the Journal of Computer Mediated Communication, which we get for the spot-the-ball contest, the study involved 912 people who worked at least 30 hours per week.
Kelly Garrett, co-author of the study and assistant professor of communication at Ohio State, said many are using the technology to check in with colleagues to see when they are available.
It can also be used to get quick answers rather than engage in long face-to-face conversations. ยต
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The article headline is about tardy employees benefitting from IM....

BUT nowhere in the article does it state just HOW using IM is helping employees who are late to work...??

Unless of course by 'tardy' you actually meant something different. I was hoping to glean a few ideas on how I could use IM to help me when I am late for work but all I got was how IM CAN make employees more or less efficient depending on how it is used... Which is really a no brainer.
my previous employer used IM to great effect. It was easier to reach someone through IM than the phone, and much faster than email.