Nearly half of IT requests are now made outside standard business hours, according to a report by Freshworks. This trend, referred to as the ‘ghost shift,’ highlights the challenges hybrid workers pose to IT departments.
The report indicates that 47% of IT requests occur after normal business hours, with weekend requests reaching approximately 35% of weekday levels. While most of these after-hours requests are routine—like password resets and access requests—escalation rates remain stable, averaging between 6% and 8%.
IT staffing levels typically decline during after-hours, resulting in a decrease in service level agreement (SLA) resolution rates by about 2-5 percentage points. As a consequence, workers seeking quicker assistance often utilize informal channels like Slack, adding pressure to IT teams who must manage multiple communication platforms.
The report underscores the risks associated with delayed responses during critical issues. “When a critical security patch or login failure occurs at 8pm, an extra hour of delay isn’t just a lag; it’s actually a vulnerability window,” the report states.
Periods of high demand, particularly at the end of quarters, can lead to surges in IT ticket volumes, with spikes reaching up to 20%. Companies are now looking to AI-powered automation and self-service options to address after-hours demands without a corresponding increase in human resources.
Katz Media Group’s CTO Robert Lyons stated, “We’re not promoting it as, ‘we’re never going to be here for you again.’ It’s just another way to provide another channel to get you assistance faster.”
The integration of AI technologies aims to streamline IT support, helping organizations manage after-hours demand effectively while maintaining service level commitments.
