December 9, 2002—Office workers across the US are laboring longer, not always better, according to a recent workplace survey by Xerox Corporation and research firm Harris Interactive. The survey showed half of office workers are putting in nine to ten hours or more a day, but are only at peak productivity for half that time.
According to the report, 74% of respondents said heavier workloads are eating up more of their time, leaving less to show for it. Complicated work processes, unnecessary paperwork, too much e-mail, and related technology issues are among the biggest productivity drains. A recent study by Xerox and Queens University of Kingston, Ontario, revealed that 40% of worker time spent on documents delivers “little or no value.”
“Today’s offices can be plagued with the same kind of productivity problems that used to be found on factory floors. When you speed up the production line, you put quality, customer satisfaction, and employee motivation at risk,” said Dan Holtshouse, director, Corporate Business Strategy, Xerox.
Seven out of ten workers in the Xerox/Harris survey said having the time to do “higher quality work” is the best way they can help their companies succeed. The survey showed some of the best ideas for improving productivity actually come during downtime. More than half of respondents said they get as many innovative ideas lying awake in bed at night as they do in daytime meetings. Brainstorming and collaboration were also ranked high on the list of ways to boost quality and productivity.
Among other findings in the Xerox/Harris survey:
- Of those logging the most hours at work, 70% said their average day increased by one hour or more compared to last year.
- Workers at larger companies with more than 100 employees are more likely to log longer hours.
- Sixty percent of respondents say they do their best work before 11 a.m.
- Nearly half (45%) of respondents indicate they’re working more closely and relying more heavily on co-workers compared to last year.
The Xerox/Harris survey was conducted as part of Xerox’s strategy to help companies transform and improve work processes through a range of technologies and services. Results are based on a nationwide survey of more than 450 office workers by Harris Interactive, an online market research firm. For more information, visit Xerox.
