European
IT directors are more stressed than ever as they struggle to manage their
workloads, according to new research.
The
Pressure Point Index, an annual poll
of 700 European IT directors by consultancy Synstar, reveals that stress levels have reached
their highest point since the survey began in 2002.
Just
over a third (34 per cent) say
that the biggest stress comes from having to manage an impossible workload.
But
demanding targets from their bosses (23 per cent) and a feeling that they’re
losing control (29 per cent) are also pushing IT directors to the brink, with
nearly a quarter (23 per cent) fearing for their job security.
The
pressure is such that a majority have admitted that their health (85 per cent)
and personal relationships (87 per cent) are suffering. An overwhelming
majority of respondents (91 per cent) regularly take work calls out of normal
working hours.
Russell
Flower, director of managed services at Synstar,
said: “Today’s IT directors wear two hats. On one it says ‘IT strategist’ while
the other reads ‘IT firefighter’,
but there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to wear both.”
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UK
IT directors lay mid-table in the European league of worry, the survey shows,
below their counterparts in Spain,
Ireland
and France,
but above their German and Dutch peers, who worry least.
