Admin overload is taking over our lives, adding unnecessary stress and resulting in family disappointments.
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.
Eighty per cent of business decision makers and 90 per cent 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 admitting they have let their family down as a result of this admin overload.
The most common admin blowouts highlighted in the LeasePlan research included administrative tasks, email communication and management, vehicle management, such as fuel expenses and claims, and taxing and insuring company vehicles.
It is therefore no wonder that with this amount of additional administration on top of their day job, that 88 per cent of respondents said that they feel overwhelmed due to the amount of admin they have to do, with 88 per cent of business decision makers and 95 per cent of c-suite respondents saying that administration tasks add unnecessary stress to their jobs.
Matt Dyer, Managing Director at LeasePlan commented: “It’s worrying what impact this admin overload can have. Whilst 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, or 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 survey revealed that over a third of business decision makers admitted coming into work early and using time normally attributed to taking lunch to get their work administrative tasks done.
Whilst over one fifth stated that they were staying late after work hours to cover off their admin. Of those surveyed, 44 per cent stated that 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 stated that they would source and engage with new suppliers, 21 per cent 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 per cent 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.