Can Mobile Working Help To Combat Workplace Stress?

Workplace stress is a huge problem for British workers. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) estimates that in 2004/2005 around half a million people in Britain believed that they were experiencing work-related stress at a level that was making them ill. T-Mobile research confirms this ñ according to a recent survey we conducted, long working hours are the norm in Britainís offices, and a quarter of the workers are blaming this for their rising stress levels.

But workplace stress isnít just affecting employees ñ it is also hitting the bottom line of British business. 12.8 million working days were lost to stress, depression and anxiety in 2004/2005 , a huge cost to businesses, not only in monetary terms, but also in productivity levels. Yet although stress is having a hugely detrimental affect on Britainís businesses, only 10% have an official policy to tackle the problem, according to the mental health charity, Mind.

So whatís the answer? Businesses should certainly confront the problem as a matter of priority. Quite apart from the fact that they have a legal duty to ensure that employees are not made ill by their workplace, stress is harming the UK economy and damaging Britainís ability to remain competitive in an increasingly demanding global market place. A comprehensive approach to workplace stress is needed, incorporating factors such as helping employees with prioritising and delegating their workloads and ensuring that effective discipline and grievance procedures are in place to deal with bullying and harassment. But mobile working could also have an important role to play.

Mobile working
According to our research, almost half of British workers spend more than 90 per cent of their working day shackled to their desks. Not surprisingly, half said this had a negative impact on their personal relationships, and 61 per cent said it affected their health and fitness. Employees are demanding increased control over their working patterns, to help them to maintain a more healthy work-life balance. Businesses must start taking the problem of stress in the workplace more seriously, and start implementing policies that will have a genuinely positive affect on employeesí lives.

Mobile working could certainly go a long way to help alleviate the problem. It is the key to emancipating workers from their desks and giving them the tools they need to truly embrace flexible working. Mobile devices, such as BlackBerrys, data cards and smart phones, allow employees to work any time and anywhere, whether at home or on the move. This is can have a hugely liberating effect. By being able to access email and the Internet and also keep in voice contact on the move, the working day can be better managed and controlled, as well as made less intrusive in the home environment.

A key element to mobile working is that it allows employees to make best use of ëdead timeí, such as when they are commuting. Instead of wasting time when out of the office they can transform dead time into genuinely productive working time. If an employee has the opportunity to clear their inbox on the move they can focus on key tasks for the day and leave earlier in the evening, freeing up more time for their own interests. Any emails that need to be answered at the end of the day can be addressed during their commute. This can have real personal and business benefits as they can be more responsive and able to react to critical communications, wherever they may be. Their working practices can be streamlined, so they have access to time-sensitive and company data on the go, meaning they can be less worried about leaving their desks.

Mobile devices also have advantages for employees that want to work remotely. The BlackBerry, for example, is always on and small and convenient to use. By using a BlackBerry, mothers donít have to power up a laptop and log on to have access to their email, amidst the chaos of home, thus saving time and working space. They can also allow employees to work remotely more often ñ potentially giving them more time to spend with their families and friends.

British office workers already using the BlackBerry and other remote email devices are already reaping the rewards. 66 per cent of workers that we surveyed said mobile working was helping with time management whilst a third were confident their stress levels had been reduced by mobile working.

And this feel-good factor isnít just down to revolutionising their work ethic; there is a key social element to this, too. People are using devices such as the BlackBerry to stay in touch with friends and family and many are even using it for other activities such as flirting and games ñ all things that can help to ease stress and reduce any resentment people might feel in having to work outside of standard hours.

Emancipating British workers
This may all sound rather Utopian but with the proper backing from businesses, mobile working could ñ and should ñ emancipate a great number of British workers, and help them deal with their rising stress levels. However, our research revealed that employers are not embracing mobile working practices ñ a half of the workers we surveyed felt their bosses werenít doing anything to encourage mobile working even though 83 per cent could see a real benefit to it.

If we are to take a step towards combating stress levels and empower a generation of workers who are currently struggling to reconcile their work and home life balance, mobile working must be taken more seriously. By allowing workers to operate autonomously, you give them the flexibility to bring balance back to their lives. By giving them the ability to be more in control of their working patterns and destiny, you relieve the pressure they feel on a day-to-day basis in the office.

Businesses must recognise that mobile working presents a win-win situation for both employer and employee. Ultimately, a happy workforce is a productive and loyal one; the potential cost of implementing mobile working practices will always be offset by the massive benefits of having a contented and fulfilled workforce.

Jim Morrison, HR Director, T-Mobile UK
www.t-mobile.co.uk