Complicated login processes are leading to burnout among organizations’ rank-and-file workers, and more than two in five employees are reverting to risky behaviors to avoid those cumbersome processes, according to new research.
Toronto-based password management provider 1Password’s survey of 2,000 North American workers found that 43% of employees are engaging in dangerous online behaviors such as sharing logins or offloading tasks to others. Some are even abandoning certain tasks altogether to avoid complicated login procedures.
Remembering multiple sets of credentials for a growing list of business applications is leading to increased stress—especially during onboarding processes. According to 1Password’s research, 37% say the onboarding process at their current job was time-consuming or challenging when it came to logging into work-related accounts.
Ironically, those stress-inducing login processes are even keeping nearly 20% of employees from accessing employee-provided benefits to reduce workplace stress. Employees report skipping open enrollment, forgoing time off requests and even missing employer-provided perks and other benefits due to login challenges.
However, complicated login processes are causing more than just stress, according to 1Password’s research. They are also leading to decreased productivity and performance, with 26% of employees reporting that they have given up on a work task to avoid the hassle of logging into a system or application.
Login issues are also impacting employees’ ability to attend meetings, as 62% report missing more than 10 hours of meetings per year due to login issues. Even more concerning however is that 38% of employees have procrastinated, delegated or skipped setting up new security apps because of these same login processes, 1Password found.
Despite greater security awareness about security risks, nearly half of employees say they are still using vulnerable personal accounts for single sign-on at work, including personal email, LinkedIn, Facebook or other accounts.
Even more alarming than employees not taking credential management seriously, 41% of leaders at the level of vice president and above think there’s no difference between single sign-on and reusing the same password across multiple platforms.
1Password CEO Jeff Shiner calls the report a “wakeup call” for organizations struggling with complex login processes.
“Modern companies are grappling with the unintended consequences of complex login processes. Although they were designed to protect us, they are in many cases creating more stress, elevating risk and hurting the bottom line,” Shiner says.
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