UK workers waste over two hours a day on social media and other distractions

UK workers spend just 3.7 days out of five doing office-related work, a new survey has claimed. According to research by Rebootonline.com – workers spend more than two hours a day procrastinating; including around three hours and five minutes of a working week on social media. In monetary terms this means companies are paying out on average £8,851.14 per employee for this time wasted annually. In the survey of UK office workers, it was discovered that on average, they were spending 122 minutes a day procrastinating; essentially, only working 73 percent of the hours they are employed to do. The annual income for office workers surveyed averaged at £32,782. Taking this into account, workers spend 27 percent of their time not doing the job they have been paid to, with companies paying out £8,851.14 per employee for this time wasted. The use of social media at work during office hours was the most popular form of internet usage; with 38 percent of office employees browsing social media sites more than any other website; with people spending 33 minutes’ daily surfing other websites.

Some companies have even taken the initiative; albeit arguably unfair, to ban the use of social media in the workplace. A survey from Pew Research Center analysed this method, discovering a substantial 77 percent of employers overrode this unwritten rule. Other policies such as giving employees social media breaks have popularised. Staples conducted a survey in 2016 to find that 64 percent of employees agreed allowing social media breaks increased employee productivity.

However, it is not just those immersed in social networking that are wasting valuable time spent in the office. Staff are spending 15 minutes making coffee and 12 minutes using the toilet daily. Although these are elements of the working day that cannot be avoided, 62 percent admit to undertaking these office rituals purely due to boredom.

Moreover, the survey had revealed that the common one hour break for lunch and the out of office hours spent at the pub are not enough for the average worker. Employees spend an extra 25 minutes chatting with their colleagues daily.

Comments Shai Aharony, MD of Rebootonline.com: “Although the results are quite shocking, it’s important to avoid any knee jerk reactions and understand that some “off time” could have an overall beneficial effect on productivity in the workplace. In most cases, the benefits far outweigh the time lost. Saying that, it does need to be kept under control and if staff members are found to abuse the freedom given to them, this needs to be brought up at the appropriate time”