Research commissioned by Office Freedom and carried out by OnePoll has revealed that office workers turn to a brew when their energy levels begin to flag. Thirty-one per cent of those questioned named coffee as their booster of choice, ahead of going for a walk outside (twenty-five per cent), and having a cup of tea, (twenty-four percent).
The industry has always been a leading tub-thumper when it comes to the importance of break times at work, and many of the findings will have salespeople muttering, ‘I’ve been saying this for years.’
The Research uncovered further findings that ought to be grist to the mill.
- People are at their most productive at 10:22 am. They hit a slump at 1:27 pm.
- Afternoons are nowhere near as productive as mornings. Things go downhill fast, with another lull at 2:06 pm.
- Fifty-eight per cent of workers admitted to struggling to get through a day without feeling highs and lows of productivity levels.
- Spending too much time in front of a computer (twenty-seven per cent), being interrupted by colleagues when in the office (twenty-four per cent) and not taking enough breaks away from the desk (twenty-two per cent) are among the main reasons for not feeling constantly switched on at work.
Clearly, providing a work environment which helps people be at their most productive is important. There’s some ammunition for the ‘get back in the office’ lobby in this Research, too.
- Fifty-four percent of respondents said they thrived around colleagues in the office compared to working from home by themselves.
- Thirty-eight percent said being in an office environment helped boost their productivity.
- For an encouragingly high number of workers – sixty-five percent – ‘being around colleagues’ was cited as the best part of being in the office.
- Of those who admitted being in an office helped their effectiveness, forty-eight per centsaid it was due to ‘a better working environment’.
Energy levels are at their lowest at the start and end of a typical working week, with almost a quarter naming Monday and Friday as the days when they had the least energy.
It’s not just the break, it’s the quality of the break that counts. This Research proves that quality beverages, enjoyed in a relaxed environment with colleagues, clearly improve productivity. With skilled employees hard to find and harder to retain, upping the quality of the break and encouraging people to get up from their work stations is vital – just as it is in building team morale and maintaining high productivity.
But of course, you already knew that…
