NZ office workers stressed by email overload

An IBM study has reported that over one third of New Zealand office workers find "irrelevant and unanswered emails" are a key contributor to workplace stress.

36% of the 479 surveyed (who were of a management role) agreed that having too many irrelevant emails in their inbox makes for a stressful workplace.

IBM says the shows that whilst email remains the most commonly used collaborative tool

in the workplace (98% agreed), email is often overwhelming or used in the wrong way, leading to avoidable workplace stress.

Denise Lane, IBM NZ Lotus solutions specialist, said, "New Zealand workers are looking for alternative ways to work more productively, and to find tools that can help alleviate workplace stress, rather than increase it."

He added, "It is clear New Zealand organisations are missing an opportunity to encourage the adoption of enterprise grade social networking tools, alongside the old favourites including email, as these technologies can both increase employee morale as well as drive a more efficient workforce."