With mobile devices increasingly being adopted and used in the workplace, the old “8-8-8” ideal where we are supposed to spend eight hours working, eight hours sleeping and eight hours on pleasurable and social activities is a thing of the past. British employees are working longer days, and increasingly being called on to work on-the-go via their mobile device.
All this extra time and connectivity does not necessarily mean employees are more productive. In fact, International Data Corp statistics indicate that 30 to 40 per cent of internet use at work is non-work related. Perhaps a little unsurprisingly, a recent study found that socialising on Facebook occupied 41 per cent of “cyber-slacking” time. LinkedIn and shopping online also ranked highly.
However, the studies on productivity do occasionally throw up some interesting, and not always completely intuitive information.
Certain studies have suggested that so called, ‘slacking’ activities such as checking Facebook or even watching a funny cat video like this one can be a refreshing break with a positive impact on productivity levels, leaving the employee more focussed and ready to do their work.
For decision makers and management, the key to boosting productivity is having the right information at their fingertips so that accurate and informed decisions can be made quickly, and appropriate action taken where required to boost productivity and eliminate employee management issues before they become counter-productive.
As well as monitoring employees’ clocking in and out times, Mitrefinch’s workforce time and attendance management system collects attendance information which management can analyse to find better ways to increase productivity, cut administration costs, reduce absence and eliminate costly payroll errors.
