Employees don't want a paperless office

The paperless office isn’t happening, people. We can blame lousy tablets or whatever we want, but research is clear: people still believe they’re more productive with the old fashioned pen and paper.

Epson Europe has conducted a research and surveyed more than 3,600 European employees, and here’s what they say: 64 percent said they’d rather read reports and brochures on a hard copy, as it’s easier to share (53 percent), easier to read (44 percent) and easier to edit (41 percent).

A majority (63 percent) also said errors are less likely on paper than in the digital form. In total, 83 percent believe ‘paperless office is unrealistic’.

With that in mind 86 percent of UK workers said banning paper would limit their productivity. Rob Clark, senior vice president of Epson Europe, states "it is clear from our research that -- despite digital advances -- people still like to work with paper, preferring print rather than working on-screen for certain tasks".

Clark continues: "The reality is organizations need printing, not only to help employees work more effectively but reap wider productivity. People collaborate effectively for many tasks digitally; for many others, a printed page is key, or an interactive whiteboard, an augmented reality headset or an in-person huddle. Businesses need to provide their employees with the options to use the best technology and processes for each task in each circumstance, from the humble printed page to the more sophisticated digital collaboration tools".

Even though digital documents might limit productivity, paper has its downsides too. Apparently, the average distance to a printer in the UK is 13 meters, marching 110 kilometers every year, and spending 19 hours a year walking to and from a printer.

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