A new study has shown that the colder winter months are resulting in workers spending more than half an hour longer at their desks. Officebroker.com have found that on average, office workers are spending up to an extra 38 minutes longer in work every day during winter. Over a week, this means that they’re spending more than three hours a week at their desks, or more than 12 hours per month.
Participants in the survey have cited the most common reasons for working more as a result of staying out of the cold (58%), avoiding rush hour traffic (41%) and making sure that all of their work has been done before the Christmas break (38%). Some other reasons include feeling the need to impress their management in light of an end of year review (22%) and also to make a good impression ahead of new budgeting in January (17%). Lunch and cigarette breaks outside of the office were also seen to have been reduced as a result of the bleak weather.
Whilst the extra hours being put in may seem like good news for the company, almost three quarters (71%) of workers have admitted a drop in productivity as soon as it becomes dark outside. A spokesman has noted that whilst end of year targets may be achieved through the longer hours, the thought process behind the extra work “appears to be centred around what is best for the employee rather than the employer.”
The spokesman went on to say that employees are putting in the time to benefit themselves; “…to keep utility costs down, avoid winter traffic, stay out of the cold or impress ahead of an end of year appraisal.” He finalised his statement by pointing out that although employees may be working for longer, the drop in energy levels after dark means that overall “it could make little difference to overall productivity.”
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