The Globe and Mail

DEAR CORPORATE GOVERNESS
Everyone in my department received BlackBerrys this month. Now, I feel like I'm "on call" all the time. Is this the new normal or am I justified in turning the thing off as soon as I leave work?
—Julia B., Oakville, Ont.

Dear Julia
Turn it off. If you have defined hours, it's unreasonable for management to extend your workday without your consent. However, with the proliferation of company BlackBerrys, the new norm is business at all hours. Many clients now expect an immediate response to queries sent after business hours, not to mention after midnight. As a result, our personal lives are shrinking faster than a cashmere sweater in a hot-water wash.

But before switching it off, talk to your boss. If she expects you to deal with work-related e-mails on your own time (the real reason—as opposed to the "emergency bull"—for arming staff with BlackBerrys), you have every right to object. Put a positive spin on your spiel and focus on how you appreciate that the company supports a healthy life/work balance.

Be warned that there is some risk in taking a stand. You'll need to be super-organized to cram in everything from 9 to 5. Plus, co-workers who check e-mails during dinner parties may gain a competitive edge. However, you may turn out to be smarter than your BlackBerry-obsessed colleagues. A recent British study sponsored by Hewlett-Packard concluded that the barrage of e-mails, calls and instant messages modern workers experience can lower IQ by 10 points on average—about the same as when you don't get a good night's sleep. As a matter of fact, a good sleep is something most BlackBerry addicts could use.

DEAR CORPORATE GOVERNESS
I've been offered a promotion that I really, really don't want to accept. How do I let the company know I'm not interested without committing career suicide?
—Jordan M., Vancouver

Dear Jordan
People often cite lack of promotion as their biggest grievance at work. So, whatever your reasons for turning down the spot—wrong fit, more time for skiing Blackcomb, your would-be boss makes Hannibal Lecter look supportive—this is an important career decision. I asked an executive supercoach for her advice on handling your delicate situation. Honesty is really the best policy, according to DHR International's Beth Oakes. Just think it through so you're in control when you speak to the boss. "Companies will understand if you have a good, logical reason for turning down the promotion," says Oakes. "Any boss worth his or her salt will hear you."

That's sound strategy, but keep in mind that your boss may also see you as resistant to change, inflexible or a slacker—career negatives you should be prepared to counter. As Adria Trowhill, a Canadian coach of the year, puts it, "companies don't want to hear what you don't want. They want to hear what you want. So what do you want?" You should also consider that if your job is starting to feel like a comfy pair of jeans, maybe it's time to try something new.