The rise of machine learning, Artificial Intelligence and robotics along with with more modern employment expectations will cause a seismic shift in the nature and practice of work as we know it, according to the World Economic Forum.
But research commissioned by TalkTalk Business and conducted by YouGov found that technology in the workplace is having the opposite effect, with 64% of respondents blaming poor technology for lower productivity.
The biggest bugbear is a slow Internet connection (cited by 40% of British workers), followed by a lack of computing power and old versions of software and systems that are liable to crash.
Almost 17% said that their time is wasted when trying to share and download large documents.
Productivity figures released by the ONS for the first three months of 2017 showed a 0.5 % decline in hourly output, taking the productivity of UK workers back to pre-financial crisis levels.
Graeme Codrington, Futurist to TalkTalk Business, commented: "When it comes to the typical experience of workplace technology in the UK, we are seeing a growing digital divide between the services and tools we all use as consumers and the antiquated technology we're forced to use in the workplace."
According to YouGov research, the top technology priority over the next 10 years is a good Internet connection.
Kristine Olson-Chapman, MD at TalkTalk Business, added: "Revolutions tend to come with little warning, but businesses have no excuse to be in the dark about the potentially transformative changes to the nature of work on the horizon.
"How to prepare business for the impact of machine learning and automation, and attract and retain a workforce with rapidly shifting expectations of what 'work' means, needs to be a top strategic priority.
"For UK business leaders, there is a critical need to align with partners who will help them to innovate on their terms."