Syntonic-ISG Research Reveals Employee Apprehension to Use Personal Devices for Work Due to Lack of Reimbursement, Jeopardizing BYOD Productivity Gains

SEATTLE, Nov. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Syntonic, a mobile platform and services provider, today issued part two of a commissioned survey, conducted by Information Solutions Group (ISG), titled "Syntonic 2016 Employee Survey: BYOD Habits and Attitudes." The findings reveal mounting pressure on employees to use their personal devices for work even if not required by their employer, coupled with a growing reluctance to use their personal data plans, potentially delaying the completion of work tasks and negatively impacting productivity. Despite the prolific nature of BYOD (64% of the surveyed respondents use their personal smartphone for work), awareness about their company's BYOD rules is lacking, with almost half (43%) unaware of their company's BYOD policy and only 29% receiving reimbursement. Employees also show relatively little knowledge about laws mandating compensation, but recognize that laws requiring reimbursement for personal smartphone use would have a positive impact on BYOD.

These results, combined with trends from an earlier Syntonic-ISG survey that polled employers, "Syntonic 2016 Employer Report: BYOD Usage in the Enterprise," found that although 69% of companies reimburse employees for work-related use, not all employees within an organization are reimbursed. This highlights a need for employers to adjust or establish broader reimbursement policies to continue enjoying companywide productivity gains. With 64% of employees using their personal smartphone for work with an average of 6.7 hours or work usage per week outside the office, the productivity benefits of BYOD are compelling. The downside is that half (50%) of employees admit to changing their mobile work-related habits to conserve data and avoid extra charges on their personal bills. Clear awareness of employer reimbursement responsibilities and policies could be at the root of employee apprehension over using their personal smartphones for work, with three-quarters (76%) of employees unaware of labor laws in states requiring reimbursement, and almost half (43%) of employees not aware of their company's BYOD policy, or who work for a company with no formal policy.

"By now, it's a well-known fact that BYOD provides a significant boost to employee productivity – our survey takes it a step further, showing that it's time for employers and employees to enter a new phase of thinking if we are to close the gaps within current BYOD usage and continue enjoying the benefits," said Gary Greenbaum, CEO and Co-Founder of Syntonic. "By conducting two individual surveys on each group, it's clear that both parties agree on the need to separate work from personal use. They both need and want reimbursement policies that fairly compensate employees, and safeguard employers from overspending while ensuring compliance with new laws."

Key findings of the survey are as follows:

Employees Feel Pressure to Use Their Personal Device for Work, Forcing them to Change Where and When they Work

• Almost half (45%) of US employees are required by their employer to use their personal smartphone for work. Of the 55% who voluntarily use their personal smartphone for work purposes, 42% admit to feeling pressured by their employer to use it outside of work.
• Fifty percent of employees postpone work-related data usage until they have access to Wi-Fi to avoid dipping into their personal data plans, limiting productivity – a primary benefit of BYOD, according to 43% of employers.
• Of the 29% of employees that are reimbursed for work-related usage on their personal device, over half (57%) say that reimbursement positively affects their productivity. Of those required to use their personal smartphones for work, nearly three quarters (73%) reported that it is very or somewhat important to be reimbursed

BYOD Mandate or Not, Employees Still Use Their Personal Mobile Device

• Two thirds (64%) of employees use their personal smartphone for work, regardless of whether their company requires them to do so.
• In Syntonic-ISG's earlier employer survey, 87% of companies rely on employees to have access to mobile business apps from their personal smartphones, yet 40% do not have a formal BYOD policy in place.
• The new survey finds that awareness and availability of BYOD policies are lacking, with almost half (43%) of employees unaware of their company's BYOD policy, or who work for a company with no policy at all.

US Employees Uninformed of Labor Laws Requiring BYOD Reimbursement, but Strongly Support More Legislation

• Only 24% of employees are aware that labor laws requiring reimbursement already exist in several states vs. 71% of employers who are aware of the laws.
• Eighty-two percent of employees would favor laws that require companies to reimburse the use of personal smartphones for work purposes.
• Over half (58%) of employees surveyed, believe it is important to be reimbursed for work related usage on a personal phone, but only 39% of employees who are not currently reimbursed have asked for it.
• Of the 69% of employers that are reimbursing employees, more than one-third (36%) of employers named legal compliance as a key motivator to provide fair reimbursement.
• Forty-five percent of CEOs are extremely concerned about the recent ruling in Cochran v. Schwan's Home Service, which requires companies to reimburse employees for work-related use of their personal smartphone.

This research was conducted by ISG in the summer of 2016. The results are based on 501 online surveys completed by members of the world's leading independent online panel and survey technology provider in the US. To qualify for the survey, individuals must work for a company with more than 100 employees and require or allow employees to use their personal device for work. To download the full report, click here.

For more information about the report or Syntonic DataFlex, click here.

About Syntonic Syntonic (SYT.ASX) is a consumer and enterprise mobile platform services company that is transforming the mobile Internet with modern business and usage models that are appropriate for application-centric smartphones. Syntonic's Connected Services Platform™ supports both consumer sponsored content solutions and split-billing for corporate Bring-Your-Own Device (BYOD) deployments. Founded in 2013, Syntonic has developed worldwide strategic partnerships with leaders in the mobile ecosystem. To learn more about Syntonic visit www.syntonic.com.

About ISG Since 1994, Information Solutions Group (ISG) has provided a variety of market research solutions that enable our clients to gain an in-depth knowledge about their customers, members, competitors and markets. ISG specializes in providing its clients with full-service market research programs designed to enable organizations to make sound strategic decisions. Our services include a wide range of custom research and analysis solutions for consumer, business-to-business and not-for-profit organizations. ISG uses online, telephone and mail survey methodologies and provides design, implementation and analysis services in the North American, EMEA and Asia Pacific markets. Our services include market segmentation, customer satisfaction measurement, product development, public relations, competitive performance and pricing research. Examples of the type of information ISG delivers can be obtained at www.infosolutionsgroup.com

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SOURCE Syntonic