Read this before you respond …
On Monday mornings, we are all guilty — unless you are considered ‘The Fortress’— of chatting it up about the weekend with our coffee buddies. But before next week rolls around, consider the latest infographic from TrackVia. According to the latest employee survey, 14 percent of workers said talking with co-workers is the number one reason for productivity issues at work. Number two on the list includes computer glitches and meetings (both at 11 percent).
Note: If you are ‘The workplace Machine’, stop reading here.
Number three on the list may include, ‘The workplace whiner’ or ‘The One-Upper’ in the office.Six percent of the 300 employees surveyed said ‘addressing misunderstandings with co-workers’ is one of the biggest waste of time on the job. The survey, conducted by Amplitude Research for TrackVia, also found that only 5 percent of workers believe that employees waste time surfing social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter.
Overall, the lesson here for the ‘Office Chatter’ or ‘Office Gossip’ is to save those juicy conversations for ‘The Lunch Buddy’ or ‘The After-Hour Drinking Buddy’. Some bosses, says The Wall Street Journal’s Sue Shellenbarger, have incorporated cash reward programs for workers who are able to stop complaining or gossiping for a certain amount of time.
Note: ‘The Football Junkie’ read here.
According to the Chicago outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas, employers lose $6.5 billion every year due to their employees’ procrastination and managing their fantasy football rosters.
“In an economy this size and one that is increasingly focused on information and services, it is nearly impossible to measure the financial impact of any workplace distraction, whether it is managing fantasy football teams, filling out March Madness brackets, shopping online for Christmas gifts, or taking 10-minute smoking breaks every couple of hours. The same widespread access to the Internet from our desks, phones and laptops that allows people to manage their fantasy teams from any place at any time, also allows work to be completed outside of traditional 9-to-5 work hours,” Challenger told the International Business Times.
Related articles
- Infographic: The biggest reason employees waste time at work (prdaily.com)
- Social Media Vs. Water Cooler: Time Sink Showdown (informationweek.com)
- The case for shutting up — how we waste time at work (lifeinc.today.com)
- Office Chit-Chat Biggest Time Waster (abcnews.go.com)
- What to Do With a Workplace Whiner (WSJ.com)
- Fantasy Football Costs Employers $6.5B Yearly In Wasted Time: Study (ibitimes.com)