Top 10 Time Sucks at Work
|
|
Credit: Diego Vito Cervo | Dreamstime.com |
While it might be designed to speed up communication, nothing slows down employees more than email does, new research shows.
A study by Office Time revealed that employees view email as the No. 1 killer of time while working. More than 30 percent of workers spend between one and two hours per day writing and responding to emails. This is the second year in a row employees have rated email as the biggest distraction at work.
With employees needing to get more work finished faster than ever, Stephen Dodd, director of Office Time, said it is critical employees understand what is wasting their time.
"Time management is something everyone can do better," Dodd said.
Here are the rest of the top 10 time killers at work:
- Surfing the Internet: 27 percent spend between one and two hours a day browsing the Web.
- Watching TV: 26 percent spend between one and two hours a day in front of the television.
- Procrastination: 19 percent spend between one and two hours a day putting things off.
- Meetings: 18 percent spend between one and two hours a day in meetings.
- Nonbusiness-related conversations: 16 percent spend between one and two hours a day talking with co-workers about activities other than work.
- Travel time/commuting: 13 percent spend between one and two hours a day traveling to and from work.
- Social networking: 11 percent spend between one and two hours a day surfing Facebook, Twitter and other social networks.
- Talking on cellphones/texting: 10 percent spend between one and two hours a day on their cellphone.
- Getting caught up in bureaucracy: 8 percent spend between one and two hours a day fighting through red tape.
The study was based on surveys of more than 600 workers, mostly small business owners, freelancers and other professionals.
Follow Chad Brooks on Twitter @cbrooks76 or BusinessNewsDaily @BNDarticles. We're also on Facebook & Google+.