Admin overload is leaving business decision makers feeling overwhelmed and stressed, reveals new research from the world’s largest fleet and vehicle management company, LeasePlan UK.
80% of business decision makers and 90% of c-suite executives say they have had to spend time outside working hours to catch up on their work administrative tasks, with more than a third (35%) admitting they have let their family down as a result of this admin overload.
The most common admin blowouts highlighted in the LeasePlan UK research include administrative tasks (59%), email communication and management (50%), vehicle management such as fuel expenses and claims (32%) and taxing and insuring company vehicles (32%). It is therefore no wonder that with this amount of additional administration on top of their day job, 88% of respondents said they feel overwhelmed due to the amount of admin they have to do, with 88% of business decision makers and 95% of c-suite respondents saying that administration tasks add unnecessary stress to their jobs.
Matt Dyer, Managing Director at LeasePlan UK comments: “It’s worrying what impact this admin overload can have. While we can’t help with all the additional administrative tasks people need to do on a daily basis, we can help ease the burden slightly in terms of company vehicle administration. There are a multitude of services available today to businesses in terms of their vehicle leasing requirements. Even just removing the stress of adding vehicles to the Motor Insurance Database, sorting out vehicle tax, arranging company car MOTs and servicing should help to give business decision makers some of that valuable time back and hopefully ensure they can get some headspace to maintain business targets.”
The LeasePlan UK survey revealed that over a third of business decision makers admitted coming into work early (32%) and using time normally attributed to taking lunch (32%) to get their work administrative tasks done, while more than a fifth stated they were staying late after work hours (22%) to cover off their admin. Of those surveyed, 44% stated admin tasks take on average between half an hour and an hour per day – equivalent to more than half a working day per week.
When asked what these business decision makers would do if they didn’t have to spend time outside working hours doing administration, over a quarter (26%) stated they would source and engage with new suppliers, 21% said that they would prefer to be at home in time to read a bedtime story to their children, or do bath time with their family. Similarly, 20% would simply like to return home in time to eat with their family.
“It is disappointing to see unnecessary administrative tasks taking over business decision makers’ lives to the extent that it directly impacts their home life,” Dyer concluded.
Yet more evidence of the value of an assistant to a manager’s performance.
