Upgrading UK’s connected tech could offset nine days lost to sick leave for employers by 2030

• Investment in UK connectivity could give businesses an extra nine days of productivity per employee by 2030, according to a new study from BT Business

• The numbers show that better connectivity could effectively offset the 9.4 days of sick leave each employee takes annually

• The study also found three in four workers expect technology, like AI, will improve their productivity, with two in three believing it will help them find work-life balance

• And yet, one in four employees say they have quit, or at least considered it, due to tech frustrations in the workplace

• BT’s Future Unlocked report highlights retail, finance and healthcare as the key sectors where enhanced connectivity promises to supercharge productivity

Upgrading the connected technology we use in the workplace could boost the productivity of Britain’s businesses by nine days per employee, equivalent to the average time lost to sick leave for employers by 2030. That’s according to a new study by BT Business, which shows how better connectivity can transform UK businesses.

The Future Unlocked report shows tech adoption across key sectors like retail, finance and healthcare can improve the workplace experience and deliver rapid growth over the next five years, effectively offsetting the impact of staff absence due to sickness.

The findings come soon after latest data from the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development reveals UK workers took an average of 9.4 sick days last year¹, almost double pre-pandemic levels. Mental health accounted for 41% of long-term absences and a third of short-term leave², as rising workplace stress holds back UK productivity.

One of the main drivers of economic inactivity, ill health is also the focus of the Keep Britain Working Review published earlier this month. This Government-led initiative, supported by BT, aims to make health at work a shared responsibility between employers, employees and health services.

With 79% of employees reporting moderate-to-high levels of stress at work³, one in four employees say they have quit, or at least considered it, due to tech frustrations in the workplace. Future Unlocked suggests technology can help businesses tackle burnout.

The study also finds that almost three-quarters (71%) of UK workers think innovations like AI will drive efficiency in the workplace, while two thirds (66%) believe it will help them improve their work-life balance. Expectations on progress and the current state of tech adoption vary across sectors. While 97% of C-Suite leaders[CB1]  in finance believe nearly half of tasks will be automated by 2030, two in five within retail describe their current workplace systems as "basic”.

Chris Sims, Chief Commercial Officer at BT Business, said: “Unlocking productivity gains across the business community is one of the biggest challenges we face if we’re to deliver sustained economic growth nationwide. We live in an increasingly digital age; only by embracing modern technologies such as AI & the cloud, and enabling them with fast, secure and reliable connectivity, will we see a healthy productivity boost.

“Innovation and automation can empower teams to deliver their best work efficiently, which boosts retention and job satisfaction. By focusing on improving connectivity over the next five years, companies will not only supercharge productivity but also take practical steps towards improving staff retention and customer experience.”

The productivity payoff

Currently only 7% of UK employees view their workplace technology as leading edge, while three quarters (77%) believe their employers must radically step up training and upskilling to prepare for the AI revolution.

Finance

While 97% of senior finance leaders report positive experiences with workplace technology, three in five frontline staff (59%) say they have not received enough training to make the most of tools like AI, and 44% of lower management fear it could take their job.

Retail

C-Suite retail leaders expect AI and automation to help them claw back an average of 11 hours a week in efficiency savings by 2030. On the shop floor, however, nearly one in five retail workers (19%) have considered quitting due to tech frustrations, such as insufficient training on new systems, outdated devices, and unreliable connectivity.

Health

The shift from analogue to digital is a cornerstone of the NHS 10 Year Plan and three in five healthcare workers (60%) back their organisation to be future-ready by 2030. However, staff report losing five hours a week on average to disconnected or unreliable tools. A quarter (23%) of worker says they left or are considering leaving their organisation due to IT frustrations, with outdated tech seen as a barrier to career growth.

To learn more, visit: https://business.bt.com/insights/network-connectivity-future-unlocked/

Notes to editors

¹ Workplace absence levels soar to nearly two working weeks per employee each year https://www.cipd.org/uk/about/press-releases/workplace-absence-soars-nearly-two-working-weeks-each-year/

² The top three causes of long-term absence (four weeks or more) and short-term absence (up to four weeks) https://www.cipd.org/uk/about/press-releases/workplace-absence-soars-nearly-two-working-weeks-each-year/

³ 79% of employees are experiencing moderate-to-high stress levels, https://mhfaengland.org/mhfa-centre/blog/Key-workplace-mental-health-statistics-for-2024/

About Future Unlocked 

Future Unlocked is a new study from BT that explores how connectivity can unlock growth, boost job satisfaction, enhance customer experiences and supercharge productivity. It comprises three pillars: 

• Value creation: an economic model that quantifies the socio-economic impacts of an increasingly digitally connected UK economy by 2030  

• Employee experience: Opinion research conducted with 2,000 employees in four sectors (retail, banking & finance, healthcare and the public sector) to assess employee expectations on the future of workplace technologies  

• Consumer expectation: Opinion research conducted with 2,000 consumers to assess the future consumer expectations of the digital experiences with the organisations they interact with 

The economic modelling for the study was conducted by Cambridge Econometrics and opinion research fieldwork conducted by Coleman Parkes. 

BT Group is the UK’s leading provider of fixed and mobile telecommunications and related secure digital products, solutions and services.

BT Group consists of four customer-facing units: Consumer serves individuals and families in the UK; Business covers companies and public services in the UK; International serves multinational organisations headquartered outside the UK and overseas public sector customers; Openreach is an independently governed, wholly owned subsidiary wholesaling fixed access infrastructure services to its customers – over 700 communications providers across the UK.

British Telecommunications plc is a wholly owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group. BT Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

For more information, visit www.bt.com/about