IT workers report frequently feeling more like therapists in the workplace

This story version has been formatted as an on-air script for broadcast outlets. See the original research story here.

IS COMPANY’S YOUR I-T SUPPORT ALSO YOUR THERAPIST?

A NEW SURVEY HAS FOUND THREE IN FIVE I-T WORKERS HAVE TO ‘FREQUENTLY PROVIDE EMOTIONAL SUPPORT’ TO USERS WHEN THEY ENCOUNTER A CYBERSECURITY ISSUE.

CONDUCTED BY ONEPOLL ON BEHALF OF LOG-ME-IN RESCUE FROM GO-TO, THE SURVEY FOUND THAT 59% OF I-T WORKERS HAVE TO EITHER “ALWAYS” OR “OFTEN” CALM DOWN USERS SO THEY CAN EXPLAIN WHAT HAPPENED.

THE POLL OF 2,000 US EMPLOYEES AND I-T WORKERS REVEALED THAT SOME OF THE MOST COMMON ACCIDENTS AND MISHAPS EMPLOYEES HAVE HAD WITH THEIR WORK COMPUTERS INCLUDE SPILLING COFFEE, WATER OR EVEN ALCOHOL ON IT (63%), DROPPING IT (45%) OR FALLING FOR A PHISHING ATTEMPT (37%)

DESPITE ALL THAT, AN OVERWHELMING MAJORITY OF EMPLOYEES (94%) ADMITTED THEY DELAY CONTACTING I-T, SAYING THEY’LL FIRST TRY THEIR OWN BASIC TROUBLESHOOTING (62%) OR BE TOO EMBARRASSED TO ADMIT WHAT HAPPENED (52%).

TOP 10 REASONS PEOPLE DELAY CONTACTING IT

• They run their own basic troubleshooting first - 62%
• They’re embarrassed to admit what happened - 52%
• They need to see if the error is replicable or a one-off "glitch" - 40%
• They don’t think IT is helpful - 39%
• They don’t know how to reach IT - 38%
• They hope the issue will take care of itself - 38%
• They weren’t following the guidelines set by IT - 37%
• Their schedule is too busy - 32%
• It’s not a big enough priority for them - 24%
• They try to solve it themselves - 22%

Survey methodology:

This random double-opt-in survey of 1,000 American employees and 1,000 American IT workers was commissioned by LogMeIn Rescue (a GoTo product) between September 14 and September 19, 2023. It was conducted by market research company OnePoll, whose team members are members of the Market Research Society and have corporate membership to the American Association for Public Opinion Research (AAPOR) and the European Society for Opinion and Marketing Research (ESOMAR).