Business Insurance: Technology Distractions in the Workplace

The day of a desk with just a single computer is no longer. Smartphones laden with apps, tablets, Kindles, and multiple desktop screens have taken multi-tasking to a whole new level. These are great improvements, but how much are we distracted by them? Are they really worth it?

The Wall Street Journal recently examined exactly how much technology distracts us. According to one survey, 53 percent of people said they waste at least one hour a day on digital distractions. Another survey of over 500 employees showed that technology accounted for 60 percent of workplace distraction.

45 percent of respondents kept at least six items open at the same time and 65 percent said they used more than one device in addition to their main computer.

Searching for documents constituted another large portion of time. Respondents spent at least 30 minutes daily searching for emails and documents. Monetarily, the cost of searching comes to $3,900 per employee per year for an employee paid $30 dollars an hour.

The survey also examined the ability to concentrate among heavy tech users. The study showed that two out of three people communicated digitally with someone else while they were at an in-person meeting. The majority of recipients also stayed connected after work hours, during vacation and even in bed.

Limiting your time with personal devices during the day can help ease distraction. Lock your phone away in your drawer and only take it out for breaks. Schedule in “tech time” after you’ve completed a task to send a text or check email. By focusing on one task at a time, you can help ease the tempting allure of all your tech devices.

Sinclair Risk & Financial Management is not your typical independent insurance agency. We tailor Connecticut business insurance products to protect your business against unforeseen losses – and we’re excellent at doing so. But we go way beyond just the policy.

Our goal is to help mitigate losses in the first place to protect the value you’ve created in your business – whether you’re a large construction company, multinational food processor, or a local enterprise. As your advisor, we’ll make a tangible difference to your business by providing you with a better understanding of the exposures and liabilities that exist in your daily operations and implementing programs to safeguard against them, minimize losses, reduce claims, and ultimately provide significant opportunities for savings.