In one experiment, employees were less productive and made more typos in the afternoon.
- Employee productivity was dropping on Friday afternoons.
- They were making more typos in the afternoon.
- Hybrid work or the four-day week could make them happier and more productive.
“Most research on worker productivity uses employee reports, employer ratings, or technology, but these can be subjective,” said Mark Benden, professor and head of the department of environmental and occupational health at Texas A&M School of Public Health (USA). That’s why he decided to carry out a study to obtain objective data on the work habits of employees.
For the purposes of the work, the researcher and his team focused on parameters of computer use (typing speed, typing errors and mouse activity). In detail, they examined the measurements of 789 employees of a large energy company in Texas over a two-year period, from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2018. The scientists then compared their computer use according to the days of the week and hours of the day.
Friday afternoon, when productivity is lowest
“We found that worker productivity varied by time of day, with reduced computer use observed every afternoon,” according to the results published in the journal Plos One. Another finding: employees were less productive on Fridays. “The decrease in the number of typos was much less than that in the number of words typed, indicating a decrease in work efficiency on Friday afternoon,” the authors said. Clearly, employees are less active and more prone to making mistakes in the afternoons and on Fridays.
“These metrics provide a new approach to assessing productivity during the workweek and can help optimize work arrangements to promote employee productivity,” the researchers said. They felt that flexible working arrangements, such as hybrid working or the four-day week, could make employees happier and more productive.
“People who telecommute or work fewer days are less stressed”
“Other cohorts have shown that people who telecommute or work fewer days are less stressed by commutes, workplace politics and other factors, and are therefore more satisfied with their jobs. provisions allow employees to spend more time with their families, which reduces work-family conflict, and also gives them more time for exercise and leisure activities, which have been shown that they improve physical and mental health”, concluded Mark Benden in a statement.
