Bad IT wastes days

1 November 2013

UK office workers lose 27 days a year in productivity due to poor IT, according to research.

A study commissioned by NG Bailey sought to identify which factors most affect productivity and satisfaction levels in the workplace.

Two-thirds of workers surveyed said that poor IT regularly holds them back from being productive, with half being held back once a week or more, according to the research. Workers believe they could save an average of 4.3 hours a week with the perfect IT set-up.

Almost half of respondents reported stress as a result of poor IT, with almost a third missing deadlines as a result. One in three worked longer hours to make up for IT failures.

According to the study, nearly half of office workers would sacrifice their Christmas party to get the perfect IT set-up, with seven per cent of 18-34 year-old employees saying they would give up part of their salary.

Bob Dunnett, managing director of NG Bailey's IT Services division said the research showed that poor IT had a health impact as well as a financial impact.

"CIOs and financial decision makers should weigh up the cost of improving their IT services with the implications of below-par IT on employees' wellbeing and their company's bottom line," he said.

The research also found that four out of five office workers surveyed said that flexible working improved productivity.

More than half of employees who are able to bring their own devices (BYOD) to work reported a positive impact on productivity.

BYOD users showed greater satisfaction with their office environment than those whose businesses had no BYOD policy.