Death of a Desk Job

softchoíce 12 Death of the Desk Job The 9-to-5 office workday is a thing of the past. For better or for worse, technology has made it easier than ever to stay connected to the workplace anytime, anywhere. Softchoice, a North American IT solutions and managed services provider, surveyed more than 1,700 North American full-time office employees to discover how technology is transforming their workdays and whether or not employees themselves favor a more connected workforce. SHOP Work Outside Of Work 62% of employees say they're more productive working outside the office. How many times per week do they access files remotely? How many full days do they work remotely? How do they access their files most often? Email 63% Cloud Apps 49% 16% Never 72% at least once a month 38% 1-3 28% less than 28% 4-9 once a month Remote Desktop 30% 18% 10+ 75% of employees say they keep more personal and social commitments because they can access work anytime, anywhere they want. Choose Your Own Workday How much do employees value... Remote Access? Flexible Hours? 78% Value 86% Value 22% Don't Value 14% Don't Value Do employees have more choice over where and when they work, compared to 2-3 years ago? 55% Yes 10% No 35% Same Do employees prefer a typical 8-hour workday or 8 work hours over a longer day? 11 12 10 8 HOURS STRAIGHT 8 HOURS BROKEN UP 39% Overall Results 61% 37% Americans 63% 52% Canadians 48% 58% Millenials 42% 31% Baby Boomers 69% At least 70% of employees would quit their job for more flexible work arrangements elsewhere, including the chance to work from home more often. 3 Enabling a Mobile Workforce 59% of employees are given a device for work Employees who receive work devices are given these: Mobile Phones Tablets Wearables Laptops 83% 44% 21% 1.5% Haves vs Have Nots: Comparing employees with work devices and without WITH WORK DEVICES WITHOUT WORK DEVICES 55% I'm given the tools to be productive 36% 45% I've got optimal work-life balance 27% I'm happy with my job 31% 51% 39% I'm expected to work after hours 8% 4 Establishing Work-Life Boundaries 76% of businesses lack policies that govern remote work outside normal business hours Are employees working when they shouldn't? Sick Days Vacation Days 57% Yes 44% Yes 43% No 56% No What type of work do they do? Urgent Tasks 40% Easy Tasks 22% Deep Focus Tasks 17% Email 88% #1 reason employees work on vacation: "I'd rather take care of easy tasks now than let them pile up" While cloud and mobile technologies carry the stigma of creating an 'always on' workforce, most employees enjoy the freedom from their desk that they provide. Now, more than ever, people are able to customize their workday – run an errand during the day or pick up the kids from school, and catch up on work in the evening from home. If employers aren't thinking about enabling a more mobile workforce, they should before it's too late. When they do, employers must set clear expectations and enforce the rules regarding work activities after hours to protect those who truly want to disconnect on their downtime. Find out how Softchoice is enabling the transformation of business through technology. Softchoice.com • 1-800-268-7638 @softchoice f /softchoice