Technology advances in the workplace are geared towards increasing productivity. However, new studies show that these advances are making workers feel stressed, miserable and less productive.

In this age of technology, workers are bombarded by excessive emails, advanced office equipment that play up and communications gadgets that demands urgent attention, even outside of working hours.

In a recent survey conducted by the Business Forum Leaders in London of 3,000 British workers, 74% said that the endless onslaught of new technology made them feel under pressure to be constantly available, even outside of working hours, and 28% admitted that they felt less productive as a result, Channel 4 reported.

Other findings include:

• 77% of the workers admitted checking emails even at social occasions
• 26% of the workers admitted checking emails even during holidays
• 61% of the workers felt the pressure and distraction of instant and almost constant communication call, even outside of working hours;
• 54% of the workers felt the pressure to operate advance equipment because of lack of training
• 34% of the workers felt inadequate to deal with high technology machine once it breaks down

Glasgow University scientist Karen Renaud, who conducted a similar survey, said that “Email has become an indispensable tool in business. However, there is evidence that email can exert a powerful hold over its users and that many computer users experience stress as a result of email-related pressure.”

Another survey by Surrey Social and Market Research (SSMR) also shows that office workers get frustrated, stressed and annoyed when they can’t reach somebody; and yet resent distractions caused by intrusive communications to their own or their colleagues’ meetings and work.

While experts are not agreed on whether technology is directly the culprit or just a contributor of workers’ stress and distraction , solving the problem seems to revolve around the proper use of the technology.

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Entry was posted on Monday, November 5th, 2007 at 1:53 am under Technology.

Read more entries by Ruben Francia.
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