A LOT of employees plan to buy a smartwatch for work

Apple Watch is already having a ripple effect.

A lot of employees who already use mobile devices for work plan to buy an Apple Watch or similar device, according to a global survey by mobile device management company MobileIron.

It asked over 3,500 workers about their plans to buy a device like the Apple Watch.

42% percent said they either already own a smartwatch or plan to buy one. While that doesn't mean that they will all opt for the Apple Watch, it does bode well for the category of smartwatches altogether.

Among the work-related activities that the respondents envisioned using a smartwatch for:

• Taking phone calls 58%
• Reading email 56%
• Writing email 45%
• Getting alerts, such as meeting reminders 44%
• Accessing calendar 40%
• Reading documents 37%
• Surfing company intranet 30%

One potential problem with smartwatches could involve what MobileIron refers to as "mobile guilt." Nearly two-thirds of the survey respondents already use their devices to deal with personal things while at work and feel guilty about that (61%) or sneak in work while with friends and family, and feel guilty about that (58%).

Smartwatches could make that situation worse, too, believes Bob Tinker, CEO, MobileIron

"Smartwatches, such as the Apple Watch, are expected to be very popular," he said in the press release about the survey. "These wearables will increase our connectedness and, possibly, our guilt about mixing our work and personal lives."