By Dr Lindsay McMillan
The number of Australian workers stressed because of technology has increased by 27 per cent since 2016, according to the latest workplace survey from global HR think-tank Reventure.
73 per cent of Australian workers said they feel constantly connected to work because of technology and cannot ever completely shut off from it – compared to only 46 per cent in 2016.
The 2017 Snapshot of the Australian Workplace is a national survey of Australian workers, capturing worker sentiment in key areas like job satisfaction, performance, technology and health.
Technology stress is becoming an increasingly common complaint that is not being addressed by employers.
73 per cent of workers feel like they cannot turn work off, so they are checking emails and
thinking about work because they are connected to their devices.
It is up to employers to follow the lead of countries implementing the ‘right to disconnect’ which limits and regulates emails outside of working hours and make their expectations around work clear.
If employers do not manage technology stress, employees will burnout and head to the exits, so it is very important for employee retention to tackle technology stress.
The report also found regarding the impact of technology:
• 66% of workers agree that the workplace is becoming more complex and is changing at a
faster rate than ever before, compared to 54% in 2016.
• 85% of workers agree that new and emerging technologies are affecting the way work is
accomplished and defined, compared to 65% in 2016.
The 2017 survey consisted of 1,005 Australian employed adults aged 18 to 65: 56% were full time workers; 28% part time workers and 8% self-employed or independent contractors.