Gaby
The international marketing agency OnePoll conducted a large-scale study commissioned by the brokerage firm Office Freedom. This global company has been providing serviced offices to both small startups and large corporations for 20 years.
If experts are to be believed, the traditional eight-hour workday is a waste of time. During the study, 2,000 office workers were placed under the professional scrutiny of researchers. The OnePoll team analyzed the ups and downs of their productivity throughout the time spent in the office.
According to the researchers’ findings, office workers demonstrate their highest productivity at 10:22 AM, while it begins to decline by 1:27 PM.
In the second half of the day, productivity continues to deteriorate. By 2:06 PM, the work of office employees becomes significantly less effective, as reported by the Independent.
More than Half of Workers Prefer Office Work
The researchers found that 58 percent of employees are actively trying to combat these trends. They strive to prove that their productivity does not experience any peaks or valleys.
However, the team noted that the effort to “get into” work despite a lack of internal motivation is a cause of poor well-being. It turns out that 27 percent of employees suffer from prolonged sitting at their computers, 24 percent are distracted by conversations with colleagues, and 22 percent struggle with insufficient opportunities to take breaks away from their desks.
The study also revealed that more than half of the participants (54%) prefer collaborative work in the office over solitary work at home.
Thirty-eight percent of respondents reported that the office environment helped boost their productivity, while 22 percent believe that this environment hinders quality work.
Sixty-five percent of employees claim that communication with colleagues is the best aspect of office work.
Among those who consider working in an office a key factor in their effectiveness, nearly half attribute this to the work atmosphere and interaction with others.
The main reasons cited for decreased productivity in the workplace include noise levels (36%), room temperature (32%), and distractions from colleagues’ questions (32%).
Monday and Friday Are Not the Best Days for Productivity
The researchers observed that employees exhibit the lowest levels of energy and enthusiasm at the beginning and end of the week. Nearly a quarter of respondents (24%) consider Monday and Friday to be days when their output at work is minimal.
Throughout the workday, “white-collar” workers hint at their fatigue to those around them an average of three times.
Participants identified the most popular ways to recharge their energy and feel more alert at work: a cup of coffee (31%), a walk outdoors (25%), and a cup of tea (24%).
The research team concluded that while remote work may seem appealing, most employees value working in the office for the opportunity to engage in face-to-face communication with colleagues.
However, not all the time spent at work is productive. In reality, only about half of the hours spent in the office are truly effective in terms of employee output.
