Research suggests that nearly six in ten office workers think about work as soon as they wake up in the morning, and over half of employees check their work emails within fifteen minutes of going to bed. These figures show that many employees are always connected to work. While this might lead to faster responses to important emails, there are likely to be some negative impacts, too.

The survey, carried out by YouGov on behalf of Microsoft, found that 55% of office workers suffered from information overload. 43% of those employees felt stressed as a result. A third of office workers feel overwhelmed, while two in five of us feel we have to check work emails on our smartphones regularly, just in case something important pops up. Nearly half of office workers feel it is important to respond to work emails as quickly as possible. Finally, 10% of employees are unable to ever switch off from work.

While office technology has given us the ability to work on the move, it also seems to have made employees feel pressured to remain connected outside of working hours. While this means that you’ll potentially receive an out-of-hours response to your most urgent emails, it can also contribute to employee stress and potentially threaten office productivity. It is important for employees to be able to switch off and come back to work thoroughly refreshed, instead of feeling under pressure after dealing with late-night work emails. A comfortable, spacious office environment can also reduce the stress levels of your employees. If you’d like to update your business interior and make your office more productive, contact Staples Advantage and we’ll discuss your requirements with you.

June 11th 2014 | Back to Industry Insights