The most prominent distraction at work is talking to co-workers, according to a study.
While there are many ways that time can be wasted at work, this was the most significant, research by TrackVia indicates. The poll of office workers found that computer problems were actually the second most prominent distraction on the job, followed by excessive time spent in meetings. Most of that time is wasted, according to nearly 40 percent of respondents.
Employees may also lose productive time to surfing the web, using social media, dealing with office politics and clearing up miscommunications between co-workers. Office politics takes up as much as two hours per week for 20 percent of workers, or even six hours for 7 percent. That kind of time represents a massive loss of long-term productivity for businesses.
Some of these distractions may be easier to minimize than others. Managers can make a strong effort to cut down on time spent navigating office politics and other intangible interpersonal matters, but it will likely require a sustained effort to mold the corporate culture to have a real effect. On the other hand, many workers did indicate that policies and rules helped them stay productive, so direct solutions may work in some situations. Organizations must ensure they do not cause HR compliance issues in their efforts.
