Shadow Admin: A Morale-Sapping Reality for UK Employees
Research by Perk, a travel and spend management platform, reveals that 76% of UK employees spend a significant portion of their working week on admin tasks, leading to reduced morale and increased burnout.
- Average of 9 hours a week lost to "shadow work", equivalent to nearly a quarter of a 40-hour week.
- 12 minutes of focus lost every time employees switch back to core tasks.
- Activities such as planning business travel, filing expense claims, and managing team admin contribute to the problem.
Half (50%) of UK employees identify shadow work as the biggest driver of burnout, while 52% report that it negatively affects their job satisfaction.
This research is based on a survey of 2,001 UK employees and 205 decision-makers, highlighting the need for organizations to address the issue of shadow admin.
Author's summary: UK employees spend a quarter of their week on shadow admin, leading to burnout.