Is your tech stuck in the 80s?

Thursday, 2nd December 2021
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Millions of employees think their company is ‘stuck in the past’ when it comes to technology and working practices.

We conducted a study of 1,500 UK office workers which found that 31 per cent believe crawling internet speeds are a sign of an old-fashioned office – and a quarter cite out-of-date fax machines.

And more than one in five think companies using Microsoft tools like Word or Excel – from 2003 – are stuck in the past.

But it’s not just technology that is leaving some companies trailing as despite huge strides being taken in mental health awareness, 49 per cent feel their own company is behind the times when it comes to wellbeing.

A tenth feel their employers still frown upon staff taking personal phone calls, and a little under one in five still have no flexible hours.

Our research shows how many businesses are in need of a technical upgrade – and seem to be stuck in the 1980s.

It can be really frustrating to work with old fashioned technology – we’re sure you’ve all felt the urge to throw your laptops out of the window at one time or another but on the other hand, there’s a danger of being too high-tech and bamboozling staff with shiny new systems they can’t understand.

The study also found businesses also have lots of work to do when it comes to modernising their attitudes to mental health and general wellbeing.

The study also found eight in ten respondents think having out of date tech – and business practices – can seriously hinder company growth.

And 56 per cent feel their job is made much harder than it needs to be, simply by using borderline obsolete technology.

As a result, nearly half an hour of every working day is ‘wasted’ trying to get their old office equipment to work.

When it comes to wellbeing practices, 31 per cent of adults would most enjoy a shorter working week.

Another 23 per cent believe staff should be able to take a ‘mental health day’ when they need to recharge their batteries.

And a fifth would like to be able to ‘buy’ more annual leave from their employer, to take a much-needed break.

Employees believe the people at the very top of a company – CEO or director level – should be the ones driving change to tech and working practices.

But two-thirds of those polled via OnePoll have never brought anything up to their management about their working environments being stuck in the past.

There’s been a growing demand from staff members to see an improvement in ‘quality of life’ for employees.

Happier staff tend to lead to a better quality of product, so it’s in employers’ interests to make sure they’re up to date with all areas of their business.

TOP 40 OUTDATED WORKING PRACTISES:

  1. Slow internet
  2. 9 to 5 start and finish time
  3. Not having flexible hours
  4. Fax machines
  5. Not allowing working from home
  6. Paper payslips
  7. 25 days of holiday or less per year
  8. Fixed lunch hour
  9. Dress codes such as wearing suits and ties
  10. Filing cabinets
  11. Microsoft 2003
  12. Landline telephones
  13. Boxy computer monitors
  14. Pressure around taking time off for appointments
  15. Micromanaging + Desk computers instead of laptops
  16. Sending letters
  17. One temperature setting for the whole office
  18. Single-use products such as plastic cups
  19. Poor maternity schemes, such as low pay or little time off
  20. Working over the Christmas break
  21. Set days to be in the office
  22. Submitting expenses by hand
  23. Poor paternity schemes, such as low pay or little time off
  24. In/Out paper trays
  25. Overhead projectors
  26. Annual employee reviews
  27. Hierarchy
  28. Attitudes towards recycling
  29. Booking meeting rooms on a physical calendar
  30. Plug in ethernet cables instead of WiFi
  31. Flipcharts
  32. Paper – such as using it to make notes in a meeting
  33. Not being allowed your personal mobile at your desk
  34. Attitudes towards women being in pain during menstrual cycle
  35. Not being able to take personal calls
  36. Sharing files using a memory stick/external drive
  37. Hiring only full-time employees
  38. Requesting holidays via email/in person
  39. No personal activity during work hours
  40. Whiteboards in meeting rooms

If you think your business might be stuck in the 80’s you can find out by taking our quiz.

Here at Enreach, we are all about working smarter. If you would like any more advice on how you can update your outdated work practices you can contact 0333 3603 723 or you can email enquiries.uk@enreach.com

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Enreach UK Ltd, Communications House, Hadley Park, Telford TF1 6QJ
Call us: 0800 097 6543 Email: enquiries.uk@enreach.com


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