Workforce Management Featured Article
Study Illustrates Problems of Workplace Interruptions, Busy Work
Interruption in the workplace is having a major negative impact on productivity. That’s according to new research by Kronos (News - Alert) Inc.’s The Workforce Institute.
Their research indicates 45 percent of full-time workers say they could complete their daily work in under five hours if freed from interruption. Eighty-six percent say they lose time daily on tasks not related to their core jobs. Forty-one percent said they lose at least an hour daily on administrative tasks that don’t bring value to their organizations. And both managers and others indicate they spend the bulk of their time serving customers, patients, and students.
These other data points may go without saying, but here we go. Seventy-two percent of the 3,000 employees surveyed said they would work four or fewer days a week if given the same pay. And 71 percent of them said work interferes with their personal life.
Joyce Maroney, executive director of The Workforce Institute at Kronos, says the key takeaway of the research is that organizations need to eliminate workplace distractions and administration work to whatever extent possible. “This will create more time to innovate, collaborate, develop skills and relationships, and serve customers while opening the door to creative scheduling options, including perhaps the coveted four-day workweek.”
Dan Schawbel, best-selling author and research director for Future Workplace added: “This study confirms that we can all be more efficient with our workday, that there’s an opportunity to remove administrative tasks in exchange for more impactful ones, and that the traditional workweek isn’t as relevant in today’s business world. Employees need more flexibility with how, when, and where they work, and leaders should be supportive of an employee’s professional and personal life. When employees get time to rest, they become more productive, creative, and are healthier, meaning they take fewer sick days.”
Edited by Maurice Nagle