British workers struggle in poor work environments

A quarter of UK’s workers are unproductive at work. Who says so? It’s the workers themselves who think this.

According to new research from Vodafone, 23% of British employees call themselves unproductive, a whopping seven million of the total workforce.

And the younger one are the worst performers of all, 28% of employees born after 1996 considered themselves to be unproductive.

Workers need better technology to become more productive, claimed Vodafone. The survey found that 42% of employees believed they were hampered by poor technology and, in particular, considered they needed better communication when working outside their own offices.

It’s not just about technology however, over half of British workers believe processes at work stop them being productive, while 47% of them blame too many meetings. And the work is taking its toll: more than four in ten of employees believe they’re being affected by stress at work.

Employees need support

Tony Bailey, head of regional business at Vodafone UK said: “Across the UK people are looking for support from their employers to help them be their best at work. While a third of employees believe they are ‘very productive’, there is a huge opportunity for employers to look at what changes they can make to unlock the potential of the significant proportion of the workforce who don’t think they are working as well as they could be.”

He said that the first step in the process is working out where people want to work, pointing out that no two individuals have the same desires or expectations and employers shouldn’t necessarily attempt a ‘one size fits all’ approach. “

This latest research shows that both technology and teamwork are seen as important by employees of all ages when it comes to how they view their own productivity. The communication technologies that are being used by more and more businesses are one way to boost collaboration among employees, in and out of the office. This in turn will ultimately create a more engaged, productive, responsive workforce,” he added.