Dealing with IT stressful issue at workplace: study

With a growing number of personal devices being used at the workplace, dealing with IT has emerged as the most stressful issue at work for young employees in the country, according to research commissioned by VMware, the global leader in virtualisation and cloud infrastructure.

A majority (75%) of the respondents to the survey in the country were Millennial, or Generation Y, workers who were born between 1980 and 1995.

The 2nd annual New Way of Life Study 2013, conducted across 12 countries in Asia-Pacific, found that while a large number of employees (85%) in India are provided with a portable device from their employer, a growing number (81%, compared to 77% last year) are bringing their own device to work to help them complete their tasks.

The study revealed that Indians find dealing with IT issues (40%) is far more stressful than dealing with bureaucracy (35%) or their workload (31%).

The Generation Y workforce is increasingly bringing their own devices to the workplace to be more efficient (81%) and using their preferred IT tools to handle stress (69%). In fact, 78% claim to be happier in their role when they are allowed to use a device of their choice.

In 2012, 72% claimed to be more productive and 70% happier when allowed to use a device of their choice 'showing improvements in productivity and happiness with the blurring of work and personal life enabled by technology.'

Another key trend uncovered in the study was the merging of separate 'work lives' and 'personal lives' into one, particularly among the 'Millennial' generation in India.

The survey revealed that respondents were willing to let work intrude into what was once deemed as personal time, with 81% of the respondents working from home, 71% on holidays, and 57% while on the road.

'The market for end user devices is growing and changing rapidly today, and India is no exception. Over the last year, we've seen new products and categories emerge which are presenting unique complexities and risks for organizations who want to protect their company data and avoid the leakage of confidential information,' said Mr Vinod Krishnan, director, Advanced Technologies, VMware India & SAARC.

'The research results highlight the pressing need for organisations to change and find the right balance between policies and how employees prefer to work,' the study says.

Of the respondents bringing their personal device to the workplace, 52% said that they were getting support from IT for their personal devices, and 73% said that they would spend - or waste - time working out a solution on their own if IT did not assist them.

When evaluating potential employers, 80% of the respondents (compared to 70% in 2012) believe that the ones who offer technological freedom are more progressive, dynamic, and desirable to work for.