Workplace technology often lags behind home setups

Almost a third of UK office workers surveyed believe their workplace lags behind their home when it comes to up-to-date technology.
 
New research by LondonOffices.com found that 31 per cent of workers said they had faster broadband at home than at work. Meanwhile more than a quarter (26 per cent) of those surveyed believed their homes were also better equipped than their offices with more effective hardware.
 
However, despite this high-tech equipment being so readily available outside of the office, only 12 per cent believed they would be more productive workers if they were allowed to telecommute.
 
The vast majority believed they would be distracted by daytime television and unfettered internet access to focus on completing working tasks effectively.
 
One worker who took part in the study commented: "I’m a movie buff and love to stream films at home so I have a top of the range broadband service. It also means browsing the web on my tablet is superfast which is great.
 
"However it has made me spoilt because when I come into work I get so frustrated by how slow the broadband is not to mention how regularly the tired old PCs end up crashing and losing my data.
 
"If the company I worked for took as much pride in their technology as the staff do when they go home then things would be a heck of a lot smoother. They really are missing a trick because the productivity would increase as well."
 
Michael Davies, a spokesman for LondonOffices.com, believes an increasing number of firms are underestimating the positive effect updating technology can have in the race to stay ahead of competitors.
 
"Believe it or not there are still plenty of offices out there with CRT style computer monitors and mind-numbingly slow internet connections," he said.
 
"Much of it may be to do with the style of the company, the sector the business operates in and the attitude of the directors.
 
"Businesses led by younger people and those in the technology sector themselves are naturally more likely to be at the cutting edge of technology than those operating in say finance, law or the care field.
 
"It’s interesting to note though that despite many workers feeling their tech set ups were better at home, only 12% felt they would get more work done if they were based there.
 
"The answer is for firms to invest more frequently in their technology hardware and to make superfast connectivity a real business priority."

Date published 24 Sep 2013 | Last updated 24 Sep 2013