Productivity

There are those very special days when you feel like a superhero when it comes to getting tasks and projects done at work and then there are those days when nothing seems to go right and you want to dive head first under the duvet until tomorrow. Here are some interesting insights into productivity.*

1. 84% of us procrastinate
A survey from Micro Biz Mag showed that 84% of people are affected by the productivity killing plague that is… procrastination. If you’re putting off those tasks and finding literally anything else to do, you’re in good company.

2. Early morning is the most productive time of day for 44% of employees
A 2019 study which surveyed 2,800 workers in America found that 44% cited early mornings as their most productive time of day.

3. A further 31% said late mornings are their most productive time
Almost a third in the same study said late mornings is when they get the most done.

4. Morning is the best time to work
For 75% of employees, their most productive time of day is the morning.

5. Just 2% are particularly productive after work or late at night
Only 2% of respondents said they work at their best after hours, perhaps burning the midnight oil isn’t such a good thing.

6. The least productive day of the week is Friday
This one might not come as a surprise but the same study also found that people are at their least productive on a Friday. Just 11% of respondents said they’re most productive on a Friday compared with 29% on a Monday and 27% on a Tuesday.

7. 90% of people admit to wasting time at work
The overwhelming majority – 90% – of employees admit to wasting time on the clock, a little surprising that 10% say they never do. Surely they are guilty of checking phone messages or having a sneaky peek on social media?

8. The average office worker spends 5 hours a week in meetings
That’s an average of an hour a day so it’s no wonder they are not always at their most productive.

9. They’re also spending 4 hours a week preparing for meetings
That’s 9 hours a week lost to meetings, the equivalent of more than one day per week, not getting on with your own personal to-do-list.

10. The ideal working day is 6 hours
Some research now suggests that the ideal working day should be 6 hours as opposed to 8 in order to maximise productivity.

11. Productivity falls off sharply after 48 working hours in a week
A Stanford study found that productivity almost disappears after 48 working hours in a week. So excessive extra hours really aren’t that productive at all.

12. Denmark has the shortest working week but is one of the most productive countries in the world
Denmark has the shortest working week of 37.2 hours, yet they are the third most productive country.

13. Norway performs well too
Norway’s working week is just 38 hours, the third lowest in the world, but the Scandinavian nation is ranked the 5th most productive country.

14. We believe we’re productive for less than 3 hours per day
A survey found that the average time that UK workers believe they’re actually productive for during a working day is just 2 hours and 53 minutes.

15. Poor sleep can kill employee productivity
Poor sleep or insufficient sleep results directly in lost productivity. A good excuse to head to bed early to feel refreshed for the next working day.

*Source: microbizmag.co.uk