Disruption of work schedule due to computerization

A computer is an expensive piece of hardware. To make it pay, it must be used intensively, forcing night and weekend work on people who previously worked normal hours.

In 1997, a European survey reported that every employee who uses a personal computer can lose the equivalent of three weeks' working time every year as a result of problems with the technology. The lost time was chiefly due to new systems' implementation, malfunctions with the machine or desktop and personal misuse. An additional 105 minutes is wasted, per employee each week, during the first month after a new system is installed. Additional lost time may result from lack of support on site or inadequate training. Many employees claim using PCs causes tiredness and eye-strain and that new technologies require them to work harder. 71 percent of those surveyed were frustrated by their PCs when they do not work, adding to stress in the workplace.