Your workplace tech may be affecting your health - and not in a good way

Woman sit on couch near laptop take break reduce stress do yoga meditation exercise to calm down self control get rid of negative emotions, bad e-mail, difficult task, problems at work concept.

• Poor tech is causing stress and leading to sick days, survey claims
• Proving productivity by metrics isn’t working
• Slashing the number of tools isn’t the solution

Nearly two-thirds (63%) of workers say technology has actually negatively impacted their lives over the past year, with many workers dissatisfied with the tech solutions being provided to them by their workplaces.

Nearly one in four (23%) have searched for a new job due to tech stress, with one in 20 quitting as a direct result, a new Adaptavist report found.

Apart from a lack of suitable tools, workers are increasingly concerned with the always-online concept and constant digital communications.

Is too much tech adding stress at work?

Around a fifth noted pressure to stay connected outside of working hours (19%) and a feeling of exclusion caused by digital communications (19%), and even more worry about miscommunication tone online (29%).

As a result, 30% feel digital overwhelm, and 41% suffer stress or anxiety from notification overload, leading to 12% of global workers taking sick leave due to workplace technology.

However, the solution isn’t as simple as slashing online tools – only 16% want fewer tools, but 41% want more training and 45% want more learning resources. The study backs that up, with 23% feeling stressed due to the lack of support with new tools.

“The companies that succeed in preventing burnout and disengagement will focus on more than selecting the right tools; they will focus on the human elements, from preserving worker autonomy to creating supportive cultures around technology adoption,” The Adaptavist Group Innovation Lead Neal Riley commented.

Adaptavist also highlighted a drop in so-called ‘task discretion’ since the 1990s, particularly in the UK. With workers having less control over how they work, one in five (18%) now feel pressure to prove productivity via dated and unsuitable metrics.

Riley advised companies to develop workplace cultures of understanding and support, focusing on human elements over black and white metrics, to ensure longevity.

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