No one can accuse British workers of being lazy, as it seems that rather than working a mere nine to five, the average worker puts in a twelve hour day. The typical employee works from 7.17am to 19.02pm, because they have mentally ‘clocked in’ before leaving the house and struggle to switch off when they return home.
A day in the life
Research has found that 33 per cent of people even check work emails before they get out of bed, in order to get on top of their workloads. Such an increase in working hours is due to the rising number of mobile phones, which means that bosses and co-workers can contact employees outside of business hours.
The average worker arrives at their desk between 8.09am and 8.28am, checks and responds to all emails, and plans their day – all by 10.26am, which was found to be the most productive time of the day. Workers usually take a 28-minute break to eat their lunch – costing an average of £3.23 – at their desks and enjoy three cups of tea or coffee a day. Only 7 per cent venture outside for fresh air after their lunch break.
A study of 2,000 office employees revealed that they typically spend 10 minutes and 15 seconds a day on social networking websites such as Facebook and Twitter and almost 10 minutes on banking and shopping online. The average worker also spends around 16 hours in meetings each week, which amounts to over 800 hours a year.
Research found that employees reach their most unproductive point of the day at 2.55pm. This was the average time at which workers claim to be hit by the ‘post lunch break’. At this time they are most likely to start planning their evening’s activities, whether it’s a dinner with friends or a quiet evening on the sofa.
Understandably, it was found that 4.16pm is the time when people are most likely to be rushing to complete any outstanding tasks from the day in order to leave the office on time.
Many workers also admitted to mentally switching off from work about 18 minutes before they leave the office and typically leave their desks and head home between 5.22pm and 5.32pm. But it is not until 7.02pm that they finally put down their phones and stop thinking about work.
More interesting office statistics
According to an article published in the UK Waste Management Journal, the average office worker consumes 17 cubic metres of water, 2,100 kWh of electricity, 11,000 sheets of paper and 3/4 of toner cartridge during one year at work. They also commute an average of 1,000 miles, and go through an average of 1.1 computers per year.
Meanwhile, in a US-specific survey of over 3,990 workers, the following was discovered:
- One quarter of employees skip breakfast
- 83% commute to work by car
- Half take the stairs at work rather than lifts, and 14% climb five flights or more
- 40% get up from their desks 10 times or more during the day
- 39% of workers eat lunch at their desk every day
- The most common workplace distractions were listed as non-work related conversations with colleagues, internet searches, loud co-workers and personal calls.
Boosting productivity
The trick to remaining productive and avoiding an afternoon slump, as described above, is to maintain a steady work level rather than switching between two extremes. It is advisable to take a few five minute ‘mini-breaks’ throughout the day, such as going for a quick walk or making a cup of tea. Workers should also take a proper lunch break away from their desks, for at least half an hour, to leave them feeling refreshed and energised.
Of course, an employee’s office environment also makes all the difference to productivity levels. Offices that include break rooms, recreational areas and conference areas for team work can help reduce office distractions, encourage focus and concentration, and provide workers with a space in which to recharge away from their desks. If you’re looking to acquire a new business premises that contains these amenities, then do contact us at Instant – our experienced consultants can assist you in finding office space that suits your specific business needs.