It’s well-known that employees will occasionally waste time on the job. Some spend time tweeting or using Facebook, or checking text messages. These activities may not present much of an issue when done infrequently: However, there is always the potential that non-work related activities will begin to affect productivity and your company’s bottom line.
But just how high can the cost be?
For businesses with workers who participate in fantasy football leagues, the cost of lost productivity can be pretty high. In fact, the Chicago Tribune recently reported that the price of this activity for employers could be as much as $13 billion in lost productivity. According to the article, Challenger, Gray and Christmas, a Chicago-based outplacement consultancy determined these results. Workers spending time on this activity are doing it on company time, and the cost has been adding up.
The workplace is filled with distractions, whether it’s social media, smart phones or fantasy football. However, HR can take steps to encourage employees to stay focused. While some degree of distraction can be helpful, too much can be harmful. For example, the layout of the office is one thing that could be making it easier for employees to become distracted.
Open office layouts, while designed to foster collaboration, can actually create a distracting work situation and cause worker productivity to fall. This type of set up can make for a noisy environment that is conducive to interruptions from coworkers. Providing employees with a workspace more conducive to concentration may help improve productivity.
By focusing on details like these, HR can take steps to create an increasingly productive work environment. An HR software system will help monitor the results.