Galaxus survey: mobile phone use in European workplaces

A colleague whipping out their smartphone at the office could be a potential source of workplace conflict. Think taking personal calls during a meeting, annoying ringtones going off and team members excessively scrolling social media. A representative survey conducted by market researcher YouGov on Galaxus’s behalf has revealed the biggest mobile phone-related faux pas in various European countries. To get the results, researchers polled 5,060 people across Switzerland, Germany, Austria, France and Italy.

Mobile phones mostly used for personal purposes – even at the office

Survey respondents across all countries reported that when they used their mobile phone at work, it was mostly for personal purposes. Sixty-five per cent whip out their phones at the office to make personal calls or check their texts.

Across Europe, it’s also typical for workers to read the news or browse social media on their phones. Almost half of respondents in Italy admitted to scrolling through TikTok and Instagram on company time.

Compared with other countries, mobile phones have the most business relevance in Swiss workplaces. Fifty-two per cent of respondents in Switzerland reported using their phones for work-related tasks.

They’re also commendably well-behaved when it comes to 18+ activities during working hours. Only three per cent admitted to consuming adult content in the office. In Austria, the figure rises to eight per cent. Men seem to use their mobile phones at work more than women do, be it for information, entertainment or adult content.

Forgetting to put your phone on silent is a workplace no-no

Respondents across Europe agree that mobile phones should be set to silent mode in the office. Sixty-eight per cent think that ringtones going off in the workplace is inappropriate.

In Switzerland, almost three quarters of respondents said so. Employees in Germany are more relaxed about this than their counterparts elsewhere in Europe. «Only» 64 per cent of respondents there said they found it annoying when colleagues’ phones rang at work.

The majority of respondents also disapprove of colleagues scrolling social media or using their phones for personal reasons during meetings. Compared to respondents in other countries, office workers in Switzerland are the most annoyed by colleagues using their mobile phones during meetings. Meanwhile, employees in Italy are the most tolerant of that particular habit.

Italy’s a hotspot for social media use at work

More than half of respondents across Europe said they were critical of social media use in the office. In Italy, 61 per cent reported being annoyed by this – the highest figure in Europe. This could be down to the fact that 47 per cent of Italians admit to scrolling social media in the workplace – yet another record in the European comparison.

Writing or reading personal texts and making personal calls during working hours were considered the least annoying phone-related habits. Two thirds of survey respondents said they were fine with it.

Switzerland’s polite, France is laid-back

Respondents were also surveyed about using their mobile phones during social situations at work. Switzerland came out as the most polite in the cross-country comparison, with 36 per cent of respondents there avoiding using their phones so as not to disrupt conversations. Only one in 100 people admitted to using their phone during conversations with colleagues.

In France, people are more laid-back about the issue. Although just over a quarter are considerate enough not to use their phones when interacting with colleagues, seven per cent of people in the country carry on using their mobiles as usual.

The younger the respondent, the more likely they are to use their phone in social settings. While thirty-eight per cent of 60 to 79-year-olds say they try not to use their phones while socialising, so as not to disrupt the conversation, only 27 per cent of people aged 15–29 do the same.

Clearer separation between work and home life in Germany

Outside the office, bosses in Germany have the hardest time reaching their employees. More than a third of workers surveyed there said it was «unimportant» to be reachable for work-related matters outside of business hours.

Employees in Italy don’t take as hard a line on work-life balance. Only 16 per cent of respondents there said they considered out-of-hours, work-related calls or messages to be «unimportant». Compared to other European countries, workers in Italy seem most keen to be reachable outside of business hours. Fourteen per cent of respondents stated they found it «very important» to be contactable after work.

Respondents in Germany are the most uncompromising when it comes to answering work-related messages after they’ve clocked out. Thirty per cent say they never do this.

Employees in Italy are the most likely to respond to business e-mails or text messages after work. A quarter of respondents there use their mobile phone to reply to messages from their boss or colleagues.

How do you use your mobile phone at work? Do you go on TikTok during team meetings? Do you play games while you’re on the toilet? Will you be booking your next holiday from the office? How strictly do you separate your professional life from your personal life? Can your colleagues contact you after you’ve clocked out? Feel free to share your opinions and experiences in the comments.