A recent survey by National Business Communications found that 70 percent of office employees use their smartphones to work, despite the fact that nearly half admit that it negatively impacts their productivity.
The survey was designed to better understand the attitudes and behaviors of office workers towards mobile work.
A significant majority of respondents had worked from their mobile device despite its limitations, but approximately 66 per cent stated that they were only able to manage one to seven hours a day through their phone.
Surprisingly one-fourth of office workers claim to be able to complete at least two working days each week with their mobile phone.
James Bolton of National Business Communications expressed his interest in these findings. He said, “It is extremely interesting that many people still work from their phones despite the obvious negative impacts.” The answer is completely determined by each individual’s job, the requirements of their workplace, and personal preferences.
What prevents office workers from working on mobile devices?
The survey also explored the factors that discourage office workers from adopting mobile work. Over half of respondents reported a dislike for using smartphones. The main reason cited was a preference to use a larger display (93.4%). Around 33 percent said that the lack of smartphone apps necessary to do their job was also a hindrance. Meanwhile, 19.7 percent stated their employer would not approve.
Respondents cited several benefits of mobile work despite the challenges. These included the convenience, the freedom to work anywhere, without having to rely on Wi-Fi and the ease in staying connected. James Bolton said, “There’s no doubt that working from your phone is convenient. It makes it easy to send emails, read documents, or make calls.” This is also a good thing, given that more people are working remotely or in hybrid jobs. Mobile phones allow us to work anywhere.
What are the disadvantages?
The survey highlighted a number of drawbacks of mobile work. These include its potential impact on the work-life integration, the increased risk of distractions by messages and apps and the potential lack of tools and apps necessary to complete the work efficiently.
James added: “Working on our personal mobile devices can affect our work-life-balance – it is extremely easy to glance at emails, even when outside of our working hours, or become engrossed in notifications while we are offline. Setting boundaries is important. Our survey also revealed that typing was slower on phones, and there wasn’t a second or larger screen.
The survey highlighted the importance of taking into account various factors when using a mobile device, including battery life, network coverage and data availability, ergonomics and other possible limitations. Mobile work offers flexibility and convenience. However, it is important to strike the right balance between its benefits and disadvantages in order to maximize productivity and wellbeing for office workers.
