When it comes to productivity in the workplace, technology is a double-edged sword. According to a recently-released study, technological tools intended to help make "getting the job done" an easier and faster process have instead impeded worker productivity. In this installment of "By the Numbers," the Daily explores the results of the study, and puts them in the context of previous research on the topic of time-wasting.
$759 billion Annual amount of money that employees' unproductivity in the workplace - "from Web surfing to watercooler chit-chat"- costs American companies, according to a study done by America Online and Salary.com2.09 Hours the typical worker admits to wasting each day (excluding lunch)1 Rank of "personal Internet use" on the list of the most frequent time-wasting activities 44% Workers for whom "personal Internet use" is "their primary time-wasting activity at work"
16 Hours per week workers spent on the computer while on the job in 20059.5 Hours per week workers spent on the computer while on the job in 199446 E-mails workers get each day, as of 200550% Portion of those e-mails that are unsolicited
60% Workers who say they "always or frequently feel rushed," as of 200583% Workers who felt "extremely or very productive" in 199451% Workers who felt that way in 200540% Workers who described themselves as "very or extremely successful" in 199428% Workers who described themselves as such in 2005
2/3 Portion of the work American workers set out to do on a given day that they actually complete (as of 2005)3/4 Portion workers actually completed in 199482% Workers in 1994 who said "they accomplished at least half their daily planned work" 50% Workers who said so in 2005
The information cited above comes from Reuters and accounting.smartpros.com.
The information cited above comes from Volume 194(1) of the Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease.
