# IT DEPARTMENTS GETTING A BAD RAP OVER REMOTE WORKING
Author:  Pal Sinha, Barnali 
Author URL: https://financedigest.com/author/pal-sinha-barnali
Published: 2021-07-18
Category: BUSINESS
Category URL: https://financedigest.com/category/business
Meta Title: New Research: 7 in 10 UK Employees Dread Contacting IT
Meta Description: Discover the latest findings on UK IT departments and the struggles faced by office workers when seeking support, based on the July 2021 report.
URL: https://financedigest.com/it-departments-getting-a-bad-rap-over-remote-workinghtml

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**_New research shows 7 in 10 UK employees dread contacting_** **_their IT department for support –_**

**JULY 2021, LONDON, UK:** Research investigating how IT departments are coping with a move to remote working has shown that over two thirds of UK office workers (69%) have had a negative experience with the IT department – either dreading it, feeling patronised, intimated or frustrated at the length of the time they have to wait to resolve a problem.

Some UK IT departments might take offence by these latest findings, and they have a case with almost half of the same UK respondents (45%) stating that it hasn’t taken any longer to resolve an issue whilst [working remotely](https://www.financedigest.com/7-tips-for-building-a-positive-remote-work-culture.html "7 tips for building a positive remote work culture") than it would in the office.

However, there is clearly room for improvement with an equal amount (45%) saying that they have had to wait longer for an [issue](https://www.financedigest.com/apple-says-issues-with-imessage-facetime-resolved35792.html "Apple says issues with iMessage, FaceTime resolved") to be resolved – with 73% going on to say they have had to wait up to an extra five hours for an issue to be fixed.

The results are part of the [_‘Supporting Your Remote Workforce in 2021 and Beyond_](https://www.velocity-smart.com/en-gb/velocity-smart-technology-market-research-report-2021) [_’_](https://www.velocity-smart.com/en-gb/velocity-smart-technology-market-research-report-2021) report, commissioned by Smart Locker Provider [**Velocity Smart Technology**](https://www.velocity-smart.com/), which surveyed 1000 office workers in the UK and 2000 in the USA.

**Anthony Lamoureux, CEO of Velocity Smart Technology, said,**“The results provide an insight into the pressure that IT departments have been under for the past 15 months, with many workplaces going from zero to full [remote working](https://www.financedigest.com/shoring-up-cyber-defences-in-the-remote-working-era.html "Shoring up cyber defences in the remote working era") almost overnight. This urgent demand undoubtedly led to many IT departments adopting quick-fixes out of a necessity to support their workforce, rather than putting in [place a long term plan](https://www.financedigest.com/private-equity-firms-hungry-for-investment-opportunities-but-business-owners-must-be-cautious.html "Half of Security Professionals Had No Contingency Plan in Place for COVID-19") that can be scaled – which has resulted in poor experiences.”

The [employee service from American IT department’s](https://www.financedigest.com/hundreds-of-tyson-foods-employees-to-depart-as-company-closes-offices-wsj.html "Hundreds of Tyson Foods employees to depart as company closes offices – WSJ") is only marginally better, with 60% of US office workers reporting a negative experience.

In the USA however, there are larger gains to be [made with more than half of office workers](https://www.financedigest.com/in-a-stadium-of-their-own-migrant-workers-say-their-sweat-made-world-cup-happen.html "In a stadium of their own, migrant workers say their sweat made World Cup happen") (52%) stating that they have to wait longer to get an IT problem fixed – with 76% of those waiting anywhere from one to five hours for a solution.

**Lamoureux** [continues, “Now is the time to invest in more robust technology to support](https://www.financedigest.com/adnami-appoints-burnett-and-bukholt-to-support-continued-expansion.html "Adnami appoints Burnett and Bukholt to support continued expansion") remote workforces for the long term. Many employees are fed up with long, gruelling commutes or have found a happy balance between home and [work life and so for many businesses](https://www.financedigest.com/despite-return-to-work-virtual-meetings-will-continue-to-disrupt-business-as-usual-in-finance.html "Despite Return to Work, Virtual Meetings Will Continue to Disrupt Business as Usual in Finance"), this means coming to terms with the death of the traditional 9 to 5 working day and putting in place better IT provisions.”

Deloitte recently published a report on [“Reimagining operating models to thrive in the new normal”](https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/pages/operations/articles/post-pandemic-operating-models-of-the-future.html), calling on business leaders to let go of long-held beliefs of how and where employees must work, and instead adapt to the ‘new normal’ way of working. Indeed, the Velocity Smart research provided ideas for [future innovations that UK and USA office workers think](https://www.financedigest.com/the-pull-of-the-past-1-in-5-keep-items-they-think-will-be-valuable-in-the-future.html "The pull of the past! 1 in 5 keep items they think will be valuable in the future") will improve local IT support:

- Over a third of UK [office workers](https://www.financedigest.com/office-workers-waste-more-time-on-slow-tech-than-they-spend-on-holiday.html "Office Workers Waste More Time on Slow Tech Than They Spend on Holiday") (38%) would welcome round the clock telephone support from an IT technician – increasing to almost half in the USA (48%).
- Over three quarters of UK office workers (77%) would welcome a [smart locker being made available](https://www.financedigest.com/safe-smart-twitter-for-finance-now-available-on-the-move.html "Safe, Smart Twitter for Finance now available on the move") at or close to their office premises to provide 24/7 IT support in the event of an IT failure – increasing to 86% of USA office workers.

**Lamoureux concludes,** “At the moment, IT [teams in the UK and USA are stretched beyond the limit propping up hastily constructed remote](https://www.financedigest.com/build-a-strong-remote-team-with-these-5-steps.html "Build A Strong Remote Team With These 5 Steps") working processes, many of which include laborious repetitive tasks such as replacing broken or ineffective IT equipment. By removing these manual repetitive tasks and automating them through wholly integrated service desk applications, IT technicians and engineers can focus on [solving the employee problems](https://www.financedigest.com/british-start-up-reveals-the-secret-to-solving-the-problem-of-identity-fraud.html "British start up reveals the secret to solving the problem of identity fraud"), and start to repair their reputation within their respective organisations.”

Conducted in December 2020 Velocity Smart [Technology commissioned the research to understand how businesses can make their workplace](https://www.financedigest.com/why-technology-will-free-britains-young-workers-from-presenteeism-in-the-workplace.html "WHY TECHNOLOGY WILL FREE BRITAIN’S YOUNG WORKERS FROM PRESENTEEISM IN THE WORKPLACE") safer in the era of Covid-19, how performance and productivity can be improved, and what technology solutions can be put in place to improve IT Support efficiencies and business value.


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