CBI and Ricoh: New World Order of Robots Will Help, Not Steal, British Jobs
By Lianna Brinded
The Confederation of British Industry and IT services company Ricoh have urged companies to use technology more effectively in order to increase productivity and efficiency in the workplace and to stop worrying about "robots stealing their jobs".
According to Ricoh data, which surveyed 1,007 full time, office based employees in UK private companies, 75% of people said that they are less productive away from their desks as they felt that they do not have the right technology to work effectively away from the office.
On top of that a further 22% said they want to work from home but don't have the right technology, and nearly half of those who do work from home say not having the right equipment hampers their productivity.
"The overwhelming message from this research is that UK employees feel technology has vastly improved productivity in and out of the office, but there is still a lot of room for further improvement," said Phil Keoghan, CEO at Ricoh UK.
"With the recent drive towards a mobile workforce, it is surprising that so few people feel they are as productive when working at home or away from the office.
"This is not about spending a fortune on technology, it is largely about making simple policy changes to allow people easy access to company networks, providing people with laptops and tablets, and training them in how to use them."
Speaking to IBTimes UK, CBI's director for employment and skills' Neil Carberry added that the British economy would be better off embracing technology and stop fearing the robots will replace jobs and view the digital evolution as an opportunity to maximise efficiency.
