Brits spend 120 hours a year on smartphones at work

The average British worker spends as many as 120 hours per year using their smartphones in the workplace, according to new research.

Research of 2,012 UK adults carried out by gadgets and technology etailer LaptopsDirect.co.uk has revealed more than three quarters (84%) admit to using their smartphones during working hours. 78% regularly respond to text messages and 59% regularly take personal phone calls while working.

Meanwhile, 52% admit to answering instant messages via platforms such as Whatsapp and Facebook, while 9% have sent a Snapchat from their workplace. More than a third (38%) regularly check their social media accounts when they’re supposed to be working.

However, not all of the respondents are skiving by using their phones; 44% said their employer permitted reasonable use of smartphones.

Those working in marketing were the worst culprits, with 98% admitting to peeking at smartphones, followed by those working in information and communications (96%).

Mark Kelly, Marketing Manager at LaptopsDirect.co.uk said: “It’s no surprise that we are addicted to our smartphones, however overuse during working hours can add up, leaving a serious shortfall in productivity. Although companies monitor and prohibit the use of social media during the working day, the research shows that there is still a large amount of people continuing to use their device.

“The use of smartphones and social media in the workplace can lead to hundreds of thousands of hours in lost productivity per year, which could cost UK companies millions of pounds.”

Only 14% of respondents have been told off for using smartphones at work, while just 4% have been disciplined for use of their own tech on company time.

The Top 10 business sectors who use smartphones during work time
1 Marketing – 98%
2 Information and communications – 96%
3 Creative and photographic – 92%
4 Professional service (law, accountancy, etc) – 86%
5 Trades (construction, plumbing) – 78%
6 Manufacturing – 74%
7 Retail – 64%
8 Transportation – 48%
9 Education – 44%
10 Healthcare – 23%