Mobile Work Force Sees Rise in Productivity, Stress Levels

iPass Inc., a leading provider of mobility services for enterprises and telecom service providers, recently published its quarterly Mobile Workforce Report, which found that 60 percent of mobile employees reported 50 to 60 hour-plus work weeks that also include weekend days as the most popular time to work remotely. The report also illustrates mobile workers' resourcefulness in doing whatever it takes to get wireless connectivity: 29 percent have hijacked an unsecure Wi-Fi network, while 30 percent have driven around in their car in desperation to find free Wi-Fi. In addition the report found a 16 percent increase, since 2011, of mobile workers waking through the night due to stress.

"Connectivity is like oxygen for today's mobile workers. The improved ability to work anywhere as long as they are connected appears to be driving higher productivity. This reinforces the need for IT departments to provide services that ensure high quality, safe and affordable global connectivity for their employees," said Evan Kaplan, chief executive officer at iPass. "While having control over when, where and how one works is a significant benefit in terms of well-being, mobile workers themselves need to take care to manage the unique stressors that an always connected work-life brings."

Click through for results from a mobile work force survey, conducted by iPass, Inc.

The report findings show that 88 percent of "globally mobile" workers said wireless access was as important to their lives, or almost, as running water and electricity while 95 percent reported significant reductions in their job productivity without wireless access.

Meanwhile, the percentage of mobile workers sleeping with their smartphone has risen slightly since 2011. Seventy-one percent of Asian mobile workers report they sleep with their smartphones in the bedroom, followed by 58 percent of North Americans and 55 percent of Europeans. Fifty-six percent of Asian mobile workers, sometimes or obsessively, wake up during the night to check their smartphone, followed by 31 percent of North Americans and 21 percent of Europeans.

Globally, 58 percent of mobile workers expressed frustration accessing corporate applications that are not optimized for smartphones and tablets.

Tablets are the most popular mobile device for video streaming (47 percent), social media access (33 percent) and reading (64 percent). However, the laptop is still the most popular device for videoconferencing (69 percent), document editing (88 percent) and Web browsing.

Mobile usage is causing slightly increased friction in mobile workers' personal lives with their partners, family and friends. The highest amount of friction was reported in Europe at 38 percent, followed by 33 percent of North Americans and 30 percent of Asian respondents.

Saturday and Sunday are the most popular days to work remotely (30 percent) followed by Friday at 22 percent.

The first thing 38 percent of North American mobile workers do when they wake up is check email, followed by 33 percent in Asia and 29 percent in Europe.

Fifty-seven percent of mobile workers are bothered when other people use their mobile devices in work meetings. However, 13 percent of them say they are equally guilty of checking their devices.

Data roaming charges are impacting even the most resourceful of employees with 34 percent of mobile workers reporting data roaming bill shock.

Twenty-seven percent of mobile workers intend to buy an iPad in the next six months, followed by eight percent who intend to buy a Samsung galaxy tablet.