The UK Is A Nation of Printer Shirkers

A study of 2,000 UK workers, commissioned by Cartridge World, has revealed that UK office workers waste an average of 15 minutes per week whilst waiting for printer problems to be solved, which equates to a shocking loss of productivity of almost 815,000 hours every week by the UK’s 3,259,000* administrative and secretarial support staff.

Over a third (36 per cent) of people admit to being ‘printer shirkers’ having deliberately walked away from a printer in their workplace when it needed a minor fix such as the fitting of a new printer cartridge or correcting a paper jam, rather than tackling the problem themselves.

Thirteen per cent of workers pass on the responsibility for printer problems by highlighting them to someone else, with another 14 per cent confessing to not only walking away from the problem, but also to abandoning their current task until the printer is fixed.

Looking further into the reasons why people adopt ‘printer shirker’ behaviour, the research revealed that 47 per cent of people say that it is because they don’t know how to fix the printer with men being the least knowledgeable at 50 per cent. Furthermore, 11 per cent of people say that they don’t want to learn.

Almost 40 per cent of people say they are too busy to fix the printer, 24 per cent don’t think it is their responsibility and 19 per cent are worried they might break the printer if they try to solve the problem. A lazy 10 per cent of people admit to total printer lethargy and just can’t be bothered.

This is where Cartridge World can help with advice and how-to demonstrations on the basics of printing so that responsibility can be shared.

Commenting on the shocking statistics NaysanFiroozmand, vice chair ofthe Association of Business Psychologists, said: “There are a number of psychological theories that might explain some of these behaviours – one being ‘social loafing’.

“In its simplest form this means that the presence of others results in a decrease in individual effort. This means if you are in a busy office you are more likely to leave changing an ink cartridge to someone else than if there is just one or two others.

“Other psychological explanations are termed ‘bystander apathy’ or ‘diffusion of responsibility’. Bystander apathy is where observers of a given situation, that warrants their attention, do not step in to assist. While ‘diffusion of responsibility’ is the theory that people are less likely to offer support to someone if there are others present because they view their responsibility as being shared and therefore are less personally responsible.

“So, when there is no defined responsibility for the replacement of ink cartridges, with multiple users of the same printer and a fear of causing damage, people may feel very little inclination to fix the problem, assuming someone else will pick it up.”

Cartridge World chairman, John Richardson, added: “It is clear from this research that the UK businesses need a holistic solution to help them manage their printing requirements and that is why we have introduced our Business Direct Service.

“Business Direct from Cartridge World has been designed to take all the hassle out of managing business printing for SMEs and indeed any organization that uses printers. With this service SMEs can leave all their printing related matters in our capable hands allowing them to concentrate on their core business.”

Business Direct from Cartridge World offers all its business customers access to free printing advice to ensure that they are using the correct type of printer for their business. This includes a free printer audit and tips on how to streamline their printing requirements, helping to reduce costs without compromising on print quality. Also included is a same day delivery service, at no extra cost. By using Cartridge World printer cartridges, local businesses can benefit from savings of between 30 -50 per cent subject to printer model.

For more information about any of our services or to find a local Cartridge World store call 08455 44 39 55 or visit: www.cartridgeworld.co.uk/