IT workers seem to be on call 24-7 these days, as individuals send work emails on gadgets like smartphones and tablets without regard for holidays and even quiet prayer time.

A survey commissioned by information service provider Unisys revealed that mobile technology has invaded the private space and time of modern day workers, who send emails and answer queries using gadgets in places where work is supposed to be off limits, as in their bed or in a church.

Three hundred Australian IT workers and their bosses were polled to determine how frequently they were using their own mobile phones and other gadgets to do work-related matters outside their office.

Thirty-four per cent of the respondents had sent work emails while on holidays, meaning three out 10 workers are never outside the corporate radar even if they get lucky enough to hang out with their families or friends on holidays.

Another 34 per cent of respondents revealed they had sent a work email from public transport. Other private places where work emails were being sent were the bed, as confirmed by 23 per cent of the respondents, and restaurants, 21 per cent. Nineteen per cent had worked from a church or a place of worship.

The same survey found out that iPad users were far more likely to use their devices for work, with 42 per cent revealing that they have sent a work email from an entertainment event, and 49 per cent while on holiday.

General manager for IT outsourcing Lee Ward said employers have yet to realize the implications of heavy use of ubiquitous internet and mobile technology.

While 75 per cent of those surveyed believed mobile gadgets and anytime-anywhere connectivity made their employees more productive, employers were still looking for ways to improve their own "bring your own technology" policies.

Most employers worried about the potential security and virus risks, and the workload it would place on their IT support workers.

Ward urged companies to ask their staff how they would like to see their gadgets used in the workplace.

She also noted that with so many people available on their connectivity devices 24-7, policies should be in place to protect employees from burning out.

"People see their day as 24-hour and want to use the time in that day in different ways to suit their lifestyle," Ward said.

"The flip side of that is people may become so consumed by their work that they don't have the right work-life balance."