If you took your tablet or laptop to the lake/beach/mountains/park over the July 4th weekend, join the club. These days nearly three-fourths of Americans want to be able to access their computers while on vacation, according to a poll by Harris Interactive. Nearly half want to stay connected while in bed, and 17 percent don't want to let go even on their honeymoon.

It's no surprise that as the variety of mobile computing devices grows, people are using more of them and more often. The poll found that 63 percent of Americans use a minimum of two computers, smartphones or tablets on a regular basis, and the vast majority (83 percent) want to be able to use them while they're away.

During my family reunion in rural Minnesota last month, about half of my cousins had their noses tucked in their laptops and tablets while the other half were more present, hanging out or playing with the kids. I know my cousins have important jobs and responsibilities, but they do get vacation time. I also know that a hefty chunk of their laptop/tablet time was spent not on work but on news, sports and entertainment.

My position: Tell your staff to go ahead and truly take a day off to celebrate things like the nation's independence (or their honeymoons, for that matter). Make them leave their computers at the office, put the smartphones on vibrate for essential communications, and instruct them to focus on the here and now. Their families and friends will appreciate it, and they'll return to work with such computer withdrawal that their productivity will be sure to rise. - Caron