New research claims that remote workers are having to put up with broken laptops, keyboards, monitors, and PCs in order to get their daily tasks done, but they may be the initial cause of the problem.
According to UK refurbisher company EuroPC (via sister site TechRadar Pro), around 67% of those working from home use broken hardware offered by their company throughout their workday, with business laptops being the most likely device to be damaged. This comes from around 2,500 UK employees working from home, but in many cases, the workers are responsible for breaking the devices.
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As stated in the study, two-fifths of respondents damage hardware offered by their employers, either by food and drink spillages or by their pets or housemates. Apparently, 56% of people tried to fix their devices but ultimately failed, while 81% weren't too fussed as the broken laptops and accessories only affected non-essential features.
Still, remote workers preferred to use their personal laptops in order to work instead of telling their companies that their devices are broken, according to EuroPC. In fact, 34% work on their personal laptops. This may not be ideal for businesses, as personal laptops aren't likely to be protected by business-level security, putting employees at risk of cyberattacks or malware (the best antivirus apps offer a helping hand).
EuroPC believes businesses using cheaper refurbished products could help remote workers, as they won't need to worry about the cost of replacing a damaged device. Whatever the case, a reliable laptop that doesn't break so easily is ideal, and for those looking to get their work done post-haste, check out our list of best business laptops.
