American researchers investigated at what time of the day we are the least productive in the workplace. To this end, the computer use of nearly 800 employees was monitored for two years. They also found that on a given day of the week there was significantly less work done.
For the study, US researchers followed 781 employees of a large energy company in Houston, Texas. For two years they collected data from employees who work in the office and occupy various positions. To measure productivity, the researchers used software that records typing speed, the number of typos, and computer mouse movements.
The most notable finding of the study is that work intensifies throughout the week, until productivity collapses completely on Friday. Employees type significantly fewer words on Friday and have to use backspace a lot more to remove errors. Clicking and scrolling is also less right before the weekend. In short, employees are no longer in their heads. Activity is highest on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.
Researchers have found that more words are written in the morning than in the afternoon.
Employee productivity also changes as the day progresses. Researchers have found that more words are written in the morning than in the afternoon. Moreover, more typos were recorded in the afternoon than in the morning. This was the case every day of the week, Monday through Friday. The researchers said productivity was at its lowest on Friday afternoon.
Do things run less smoothly in the afternoon and more difficult to catch your eye on Friday? So you are not alone. Therefore, American scientists suggest that employees work remotely on Friday, or even cancel the last working day.
This will not only benefit the productivity and well-being of the employees. Previous studies have shown that working from home has additional benefits. Employees get more satisfaction with their jobs, experience no stress in traffic jams or on the go, and have more control over their workday, which in turn helps prevent burnout. Thanks to working from home, there is also more time for sports, for hobbies, and for the family. Working from home is also good news for the business owner, because your energy bill will be lower. Finally, since no one has to get to the office, there are fewer greenhouse gas emissions. So the planet also benefits from this shortened work week.
If working from home is an option for you, it’s a good idea to stay home on Fridays. This way you will suffer less from Friday’s drop. In addition, use the most productive moments to get the most important work done. Do you have an important email to write or is there a task in your agenda that requires extra focus, then schedule those tasks for the morning.
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