Warning about information overload on staff

The electronic revolution could lead to a reduction in productivity, British managers were warned this week

The electronic revolution could lead to a reduction in productivity, British managers were warned this week. More than 75 per cent of all communications were now conducted electronically, creating a number of problems in the workplace, according to Anderson Consulting and Investors in People.

A report called Nil by Mouth said that many staff were now experiencing information overload as they were targeted by huge volumes of unnecessary, poorly written, unfocused, ineffective messages. It estimated that the average manager was interrupted every 10 minutes by a new message.

With a reduction in face-to-face contact, those that were not using technology could find that they were "disenfranchised" in the workplace, and that they had lost their voice in the development of the organisation. The report also claimed that employer expectations were increasing as the technology did not sleep and employees could be contacted 24 hours a day.