Working from a personal mobile can cause huge problems for businesses across the UKThis is leading us into an ‘always-on’ work culture. In France, the law dictates that workers are allowed to disconnect from their phones, and many Brits want to jump on this bandwagon. For busy working Brits, a demanding job in a challenging industry pressurises us to be ‘always-on’.
In the UK, how bad is this getting?
A poll of British workers revealed that 72.4%, a staggering number, have confessed to making work calls or replying to work-related emails in their free time. One out of every three have also admitted that they check their phones for anything work related as soon as they wake up. The same goes for when they go to bed too. Not only are work emails and calls being answered in this ‘always-on’ work culture, but 62.1% of people admit to using workspaces and drives that are shared when not in the office.
Working from a personal mobile can cause huge problems for businesses across the UK. New GDPR legislation means that any data stored on employees’ personal phones has to be held in a secure way. A staggering 46% of Brits admit to not being aware of these new laws and continue to carry out work tasks on their personal mobile phones. For an employer, failing to follow the new GDPR legislation can lead to a hefty fine.
Is the ‘always-on’ culture having an impact on businesses?
A significant proportion of Brits, over 65% confess to either thinking about or doing some work outside of the workplace. It’s no surprise that many professionals in the UK don’t think they have the balance between work and life completely right. This means it could be costing businesses some very talented workers. Almost half (44.4%) of employees in Britain have admitted that they have quit jobs before because of the imbalance between work and home life.
Work-life balance is very important. This is true not only for employees but for a business as well. Staff that are over-worked can become fatigued, leading to loss of productivity and in some cases, complete burn out. With Brits admitting that they have left jobs because of a work-life imbalance, employers are being encouraged to let their staff switch off after work. This is vital if you want to hire and retain a talented workforce for your business.
To help ease the ‘always-on’ work culture, employees need to take the time to recharge. Practising what you preach as an employer will help to create a culture where work-life balance is encouraged. Senior staff shouldn’t be putting in all the hours under the sun. As an employer, flexible working can really help your employees better shape their career around their private lives.
The ‘always-on’ culture of Brits staying on their phones after the nine to five is having an impact on today’s professionals. This is bad news for both employers and employees. It’s important that, as a business owner, you are encouraging your staff to switch off their phones after hours in looking after the wellbeing of your workforce.
