Mobile Workforce Report Q3 2011: Page 1: Introduction | Page 2: The Always-On Workforce | Page 3: To Connect or Disconnect? | Page 4: Device and Connectivity Trends | Page 5: Conclusion
Welcome to the 24-hour workshift! The on-demand mobile workforce is now at your service-24 hours per day, 7 days per week, everywhere you go. Even on vacation, they are checking into work on a regular basis.
As mobile workers, we now work before our commutes, during our commutes, and through our lunch breaks. And when we finally get home, we continue to work. Some of us are even sacrificing a good night’s sleep to catch up with email or finish projects. In fact, the flexibility of our current work environments is enabling us to work 10 more hours per week on average than our office-bound colleagues.
And what is the cost of all of this connectivity? According to the mobile workers who responded to this quarter’s survey, they felt more efficient and productive because of their flexible work schedules — what we are calling "workshifting". And personally, they felt much more relaxed and better able to balance their work responsibilities with their personal lives, in spite of the additional work hours. Perhaps it is a result of feeling more "in control" of their work and personal responsibilities?
We have now seen the pendulum start to swing back to the center on disconnecting. In last year’s survey, we asked respondents if they ever completely disconnected from technology. Only 47 percent ever did. This quarter, however, that number increased to 68 percent. The top reason given for disconnecting was to spend more time with their families. It appears that the mobile workforce is finally getting a better grip on their work/life balance. The ability to work when and where we want to is not only creating more productive employees, but happier ones as well.
Mobile Workforce Report Q3 2011: Page 1: Introduction | Page 2: The Always-On Workforce | Page 3: To Connect or Disconnect? | Page 4: Device and Connectivity Trends | Page 5: Conclusion
