A survey from Walters People has found that 42% of respondents feel that technology is hurting their work-life balance. Furthermore, 34% of millennials say that older workers not having a grasp on new technology is one of the biggest causes of workplace conflict.
Implementing new technology is inevitable for a modern workplace. Nearly three-quarters of employers believe tech helps boost workflow and productivity. It also increases collaboration, as well as attracts and retains talent.
“Advances in technology have already changed the way organisations and employees work. With teams more dispersed and covering more time zones, working with others via phone, virtual meetings and video has become a norm,” said Lucy Bisset, director at Walters People, Manchester. “Adopting a digital workplace has also helped companies streamline operations and enhance speed of communication, as well as accessing the information in a much more effective way.”
Still, employees fear that they are expected to “always be on,” which hinders their ability to achieve a healthy work-life balance. Other concerns include struggling to learn and apply new technologies and fear of technologies replacing jobs.
In order to ensure employees are comfortable with technology, managers need to give employees time to gain the proper training to adopt these practices.