Steve Halstead, acting managing director of Pollards
NO... "The work-life balance in the print industry is poor. Small print companies have narrow margins, with the result that businesses are often thinly resourced at senior levels. This leaves managers very close to operations, so they are frequently contacted when taking holidays or otherwise away from the office. The increase in technology has made some difference, but not extensively. It has simply made managers easier to track down for help and advice."

Marion Morrow, UK sales director of The Charlesworth Group
YES... "Middle managers are now very well trained. I work from home, but the only down side is communicating with our colleagues in China who work in a different timezone. I often have to be up and working their operating hours, even though they are seven hours ahead. Staff can switch off mobiles and Blackberries but as we all know they are highly addictive. It is down to the user to make sure they use their handset responsibly."

Jeremy Bacon, managing director of Sherwood Press
MAYBE... "I spend too much time working late and on the weekend. But I do have a good team to look after the business when I am on holiday, and I leave detailed handling notes. When I am on holiday, I am on holiday. This ethos is the same for every member of staff. We actively encourage people to switch off their phones and take a break from the business. Therefore, if someone was to ring me when I was on holiday I would be extremely worried. I do spend a lot of time out of the UK and this means that you end up working very long days due to time differences."

Les Field, managing director of Maincolour Print
YES... "In my opinion there certainly can be a good work/life balance in our industry. There is no point becoming so bogged down that workloads become impossible and the job is no longer enjoyable. I’m fortunate enough to be able to switch off away from the office because we have an excellent team of professionals here, although I do keep in touch using email via a Blackberry. By having daily meetings, we ensure that everyone is aware of what’s going on, and by delegating responsibility to capable people who know their jobs we never allow problems to become issues."