New research finds one in three employees are wasting time at work to search for an escape from the nine to five.
New research from experience design studio, 383, reveals that one third of 25-44 year olds are searching for holidays online and on their mobile devices when they should be working.
While we all get distracted from time-to-time, the research shows that 32% of adults are dreaming about their next ‘out of office’ right under their bosses’ noses.
This research helps provide greater detail on a wider issue threatening UK businesses — that employees are disengaged and unhappy. Not only are distracted employees browsing the internet, they are dreaming of being anywhere else but work.
According to Gallup, just 8% of the UK workforce is engaged at work — that’s just 8% of employees who are working at their full potential. Productivity shortfalls are a real problem for the UK economy — we’re lagging behind competitor nations, and the UK Industrial Strategy is specifically trying to tackle this.
Boosting employee engagement could be a key step to tackling this productivity crisis. Research from the Social Market Foundation states that happy and engaged employees are up to 20% more productive, and further research from Gallup reveals that engaged employees can increase sales by up to 20%.
Businesses must do more to ensure their employees are engaged at work, or risk underperforming in terms of productivity.
Sukhi Dehal, CEO and founder of 383, said: “If employees are using their work time to plan their next holiday, clearly something’s not right. ‘Disengaged’ is the business jargon way of saying employees are unhappy or bored — or both.
“We are all prone to distractions, but as a business leader, I was shocked to see that a third of employees are focusing on their next holiday, rather than their work. However, rather than cast blame on these employees, businesses should work harder to understand and tackle the root cause of the problem. What could be causing employees to lose interest, and fantasise about being anywhere else but work?
“Never make assumptions about what could be causing cultural problems in your company. While offering financial incentives might seem like the easiest solution, that might not actually be the best motivator for your team. Ask staff explicitly how you can help them feel more engaged at work, make them part of the process. Measuring the before and after effects with employee satisfaction surveys ensures your actions are effective, and the business benefit quantifiable. With a 20% boost in productivity at stake, this is a real business issue and should be taken seriously.”
