Productive Work

KD13

My Vice-Pres. asked today if I knew of the average percentage of work performed in an 8 hour day. He asked if I had read or heard any percentages for any studies. There are studies for everything so I am sure someone has heard the results I am looking for. Ideally in an 8 hour day, 100% of work or 8 hours are performed. BUT, we don't live in an ideal world. Does anyone know of any results of any studies like the one my VP is asking for?

Don D

Like you, I'm sure there is somebody out there who has come up with some theory on this. I guess the converse is to try and determine on average how much time out of an 8 hour shift an average employee goofs off. I would like to see the same study, but doubt I would put much stock in it. x:-)

System

KD13, your veep is scaring me a little :-S because he could be heading down the road to micromanagement. Instead he should focus on optimizing productivity, which is probably his end goal.

Just because someone sits at his desk all day doesn't mean he's a great employee.

James Sokolowski
HRhero.com

mwild31

Okay, I found a survey (there's more, but this is the quick ask jeeves version). I'm assuming from your post, he's looking for survey's involving office type workers as opposed to manufacturing settings where they (we) account for time with 'cycle' boards. Here's the link:

[url]http://www.computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/privacy/story/0,10801,78205,00.html?f=x010[/url]

Basically, the survey found that people with access to the net at work, spent 3.7 hours per week surfing the web for personal business. Separately, and if I'm a good guesser, time spent chatting to co-workers, getting coffee, trips to the bathroom, etc. could probably be rounded to about 30 or minutes a day. That being said and assuming your folks have access to the net at work, it might be safe to say that at least 1 hour a day per ee is less productive for the company.

It's interesting to note that the survey did find that ee's that didn't have access to the net at home spent more time on the net at work. x:o Maybe you could suggest that the company, in an effort to increase productivity, they buy all of their ee's personal computers? x:D

ps - there's another survey that says 20-minute power naps increase productivity. Ah! Survey's... x:-)

Whatever

Does being on this site count as work or personal time?

KD13

I am going to count it as pleasurable work time.

KD13

Thanks for the article. After a solution for whatever is up with the VP is found, I'll try to get those personal PC's for everyone or at least have everyone's home internet bills paid.

marc

Mwild shows her stuff again, great post!

But for an alternate viewpoint of the workweek, consider renting the movie Office Space. A little over half way through it, a couple of consultants ask the anti-hero about his work day. He tells a great story about what he does and ends with the conclusion that he does about 15 minutes of actual work a week.

Whatever you do, don't let your boss rent the movie...

Yahoo

I just watched that movie yesterday - one of my favorites.....

"I did nothing all day, and it was everything I thought it could be." x:D

Crout

Just make sure you get those TPS reports in on time and you'll be fine.

marc

Ummmmm - yeaah, What's happening. I am going to go ahead and send you that memo about the TPS reports, okay?

Yahoo

Excuse me Marc, but I believe you have my stapler.

Time for me to go........got a meeting with the Bobs!!!

safety

I'm going to come in late tomorrow and clean some fish at my desk!