- One in two IT requests occur outside the hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., new report finds
- Even though they are scattered, most requests remain routine.
- AI-powered automation and self-service could help bridge the gap and reduce downtime
Flexible and hybrid work routines have introduced a new challenge for IT departments: With workers now working before or after the traditional 9-5, many must wait hours for IT to pick up their help desk ticket.
New data from Freshworks shows that almost half (47%) of IT requests are now made outside of standard business hours, during what is known as the ‘shadow shift’, with weekends accounting for around 35% of weekday levels.
Most after-hours requests are routine, the report finds, including password resets, MFA unlocks and access requests, and escalation rates are no different from daytime norms of around 6 to 8 percent.
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Hybrid working puts pressure on IT teams
Even though service requests typically remain unchanged outside of business hours, IT staffing remains unchanged, resulting in a typical drop in SLA resolution rates of around 2 to 5 percentage points.
As a result, and as employees want faster responses, many are resorting to informal channels like Slack to get help faster, which only adds additional pressure on IT teams who must monitor approved ticket channels and instant messaging platforms for help requests.
“When a critical security patch or connection failure occurs at 8 p.m., an additional hour of delay is not just a lag, it is actually a window of vulnerability,” the report details.
Periods of high demand, such as the end of the quarter, also generate an increase in ticket volumes, with peaks of up to 20% during peak periods.
But in the age of automation, all hope is not lost and companies do not need to spend a lot of money on human resources to bridge the gap. Many are turning to AI-powered self-service to meet demand outside of normal hours.
“We’re not promoting this by saying ‘we’re never going to be here for you again,'” said Robert Lyons, CTO of Katz Media Group. “It’s just another way to provide another channel to get help faster.”
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