53 Mind-Blowing Employee Productivity Statistics for 2024
Employee productivity stats can help businesses to understand ways of improving productivity in their workplace. After all, businesses of all sizes try to find ways to improve employee productivity to improve their bottom line.
Some tools can improve productivity visibility, such as employee monitoring software. Here are 50 mind-blowing productivity stats that could be affecting your employees:
Editor’s Choice for the Most Incredible Productivity Stats
While this mind-blowing list of productivity statistics might surprise you, we’ve pulled out our top 11 of the most incredible (and surprising) productivity stats in 203:
1. When employees are engaged, they are more productive, resulting in a potential profit increase in profits by 21%. (Forbes)
2. 41% of stressed employees think stress negatively affects productivity. (Colonial Life)
3. 71% of employees want a hybrid or remote working style after the pandemic (Owl Labs)
4. When working from home, 15% of employees were less likely to feel sleepy. (Sleep Standards)
5. If the work environment is too cold, 53% of employees might be less productive. (CareerBuilder)
6. Many employees aren’t engaged at work (85%) or actively disengaged; this could result in $7 trillion of lost productivity annually in the US. (Gallup)
7. Open office layouts might contribute to a drop in overall well-being (32%) and a 15% reduction in productivity. (Exeter)
8. Employees who receive daily feedback from their manager are 3 times more likely to be productive than those who receive feedback once a year or less. (Gallup)
9. Low company morale (34%), project completion delays/failures (44%), lost sales (18%) and missed performance goals (25%) all contribute to lower productivity. (DynamicSignal)
10. The average office worker is productive for less than 3 hours a day (2 hours and 53 minutes). (Voucher Cloud)
11. 90% of the employees say they were more productive working remotely compared to the office (Owl Labs)
12. The average American worker’s net productivity increased 253% in the last decade. (FinancesOnline, 2023)
Workplace Productivity Statistics
Businesses globally scratch their head to find ways to increase productivity in their workplaces. When looking at these statistics, they seem obvious, and perhaps it is most mind-blowing that actions to correct these situations haven’t been implemented:
13. 21% of UK employees believe they are truly productive for an entire workday.
(GoRemotely)
This statistic is compared to 79% of employees who admitted that they don’t think they are productive for an entire eight-hour workday. This latter statistic is accurate, as employees work less than three productive hours daily.
14. Work meetings had increased by 69.7% since February 2020, when the average was only 15.1 meetings per week.
(Reclaim)
So while the average productivity rates have increased in the United States, wages have not followed suit. Wages have only increased 116% in the same time period.
15. Multitasking reduces productivity by 40%.
(Business2Community)
Employees and employers often think that multitasking improves productivity. However, productivity data shows the opposite.
16. When working, employees are interrupted every three minutes and five seconds
(Business2Community)
Whether it is bothersome coworkers or pesky emails, the average employee is not given enough time to sit down and focus on tasks. It may take people 23 minutes to refocus after an interruption.
17. Social media costs businesses $28 billion annually.
(Gitnux)
With employees spending up to 32% of their time on Facebook, it’s not surprising that your employees aren’t getting their work done. Social media browsing on company time is unfortunately costing companies billions. Luckily an employee monitoring software can catch wasted time and time spent on social media apps and websites.
Factors Affecting Employee Productivity Statistics in 2024
Every team has different work styles; however, companies can hone in on common factors to improve workplace productivity and workflows. Here are the top 5:
18. One-on-one meetings had increased over 500% since before the pandemic when the average was 0.9 per week.
(Reclaim)
One-on-one meetings are often scheduled between a manager and employee to discuss the work progress, share feedback, and answer questions.
19. Ineffective company communication stresses out 80% of US employees.
(DynamicSignal)
Mobile apps are becoming increasingly important to how we do business. Therefore, you may want to look for technology like employee monitoring software with mobile apps so that your employees can have the opportunity to use their work devices, work apps, and data from anywhere.
20. Engaged employees are more likely to be productive, and it has the potential to increase profits by 21%.
(GoRemotely)
It’s no surprise that happiness and workplace productivity are strongly related. The happier your employees are, the more likely they will be happy and willing to work! Productive employees are equal to a massive boost in profitability!
21. 41% of stressed employees believe that stress negatively impacts their productivity.
(Colonial Life)
Since stress has a major impact on wellbeing (and productivity), employers would be wise to include compensation to alleviate stress. Paid vacation leaves, raise, wellness programs, bonuses, and flexible work schedules are all ways that could positively alleviate stress.
22. Over 70% of employees worry about stressors during their work time.
(Colonial Life)
Two of the biggest stresses employees have on their minds are their jobs and finances.
If you have 70% of your employees worrying about these during work time, you have your employees not working while on work time more often than not. 28% of employees spend less than 1 hour of work time each week worrying; another 50% spend up to five hours per week, and 16% spend 10 hours a week. There is also an additional 6% spending 15 hours on worrying.
All of this equates to poorer productivity and even mental health in your workplace.
Work-Life Balance Statistics
As an employer, you can’t control your employees’ work-life balance. But you might want to pay attention to it. Having a poor work-life balance can lead to stress, which can impact productivity.
23. Many service professionals (94%) work over 50 hours each week, even though the average workweek is 34.4 hours (Harvard Business Review)
24. Above 190 billion is spent each year to address burnout’s physical and psychological effects. (Harvard Business Review)
25. Over half (66%) of workers don’t feel like they have a work-life balance. (Smallbiz Trends)
26. Only 23% of companies think they promote work-life balance in their organization. (Deloitte)
27. Most (83%) of Gen Zers and Millennials don’t feel they have a work-life balance. (Future Workplace)
28. Flexibility promotes work-life balance, according to 79% of employees. (Flex Jobs)
29. If you encourage work-life balance as a company, you can potentially see two times more productivity (compared to those who don’t promote work-life balance). (Deloitte)
30. Work-life balance is an important factor when determining a job, according to 72% of respondents. (Statista)
31. Unfortunately, workers spend 40.1% of their day multitasking (which is not efficient!). (Forbes)
32. The average American works 8.8 hours a day.
(Truelist)
Statistics from the Bureau of Labor Statistics report that Americans are still working long hours. However, not all that time is spent being “productivity.” The study finds that Americans continue to eat up time throughout the day for smoke breaks, browsing social media, and reading the news.
Working Remotely Can Transform Efficiency
Many of the trends for employee productivity suggest that you should allow time for “alone time” or individual work in addition to team time. Meetings should be reduced, and try to go remote when you can.
Here are some working remotely stats to browse, which may be a strong indicator for moving to a remote work model (at least sometimes!):
33. 77% of employees report greater productivity while working off-site.
(Remote Collaborative Worker Survey)
Work offices are helpful, but sometimes they are not the most comfortable work setting. Therefore, sometimes, employees wouldn’t mind working off-site every so often. Not only will this boost productivity, but it will also reduce the stress associated with lengthy commutes or preparation times.
Luckily, remote employee monitoring software can help keep eyes on your team, even if they are spread across the globe.
34. 64% of global business leaders said flexible working positively impacted productivity.
(Condeco reports)
Flexible work environments are on the rise. Whether it is a core part of your business or you want to implement flexible work as a bonus, it seems to be a good choice. Measure productivity outcomes in the office and with remote work to understand the difference in productivity.
Many companies think that flexible working means less work. They may be surprised to learn that you could have increased productivity by being more flexible with their team!
35. 86% of employees say they’re most productive when they work alone from home.
(Fundera)
Given that many employees prefer to work alone, it’s no surprise that employees feel more productive when working at home, alone. While working from home is not necessarily beneficial for social cohesion in your workplace, a flexible working house could boost productivity and the sense of control in one’s job.
36. 86% of employees prefer to work alone.
(Hubstaff)
Work efficiency will depend on the workflow setup. While many employees prefer to work alone, this isn’t always feasible. Finding the best balance between working alone and a team might improve productivity.
37. More than two-thirds of employers have seen increased productivity among remote workers.
(Global Workplace Analytics)
When companies like Best Buy, British Telecom, and Dow Chemical switched to remote, they saw a boost in employee productivity metrics between 35 to 40%! AT&T also saw that remote workers worked five more hours a week compared to colleagues in-house!
Remote work has a positive impact on employee productivity. And how you can harness this boost in productivity is up to each business!
38. 83% of workers believe they don’t have to work in an office to be productive.
(Fuze)
Even if your business is not ready to move to remote work immediately, you should consider that most employees don’t necessarily need to be in the office. If this is the case, look into ways to make the office space more welcoming. That way, even if you want them in the office, they might feel better and more excited about coming in.
The bottom line is that you can consider moving to remove work if you think your company is ready for it. Remote work gives employees many benefits, but you must work through some of the kinks associated with this shift.
39. One out of three remote workers would be unhappy if the company started monitoring employee efficiency.
(GoRemotely)
One-third of your remote workers would be upset if you started implementing software for employee monitoring. Employee monitoring software is a very normal software that can be viewed from anywhere in the world. However, the implementation of that software doesn’t seem to be sufficient reason for them to leave. 43% of employees said they would be unhappy with the monitoring solution and would consider leaving.
Once again, this is not an indicator that they would be willing to leave. Initially, the decision to implement a monitoring solution is filled with distrust, which might hurt the company culture. However, companies can take steps to educate their employees about why employee monitoring is needed (for project tracking, for example) and because of the financial cost of time theft.
40. 82% of remote employee managers are concerned about reduced productivity.
(GoRemotely)
When you run a remote business or remote workers, there will largely be a concern about decreased productivity. This is because managers have no idea what remote workers do during work hours. It’s not as simple as walking around the office and peering over your shoulders.
Workplace productivity stats have shown us that, time and time again, remote work positively impacts productivity. Managers working with remote employees should hold regular meetings with remote workers to understand which tasks are being completed and review performance metrics.
41. Employees are 24% happier if they can work from home once a month.
(OWL Labs)
Businesses worried about implementing flexible work arrangements or remote work should try to do so just for the improved productivity and the simple pleasures of working from home.
And remote work productivity and security can be tracked and monitored through remote employee monitoring software.
42. Work-from-home employees are 52% less likely to take time off.
(Apollo Technical)
Another point on the board for remote workers! If they can work from home occasionally, you may give your employees more options for getting work done!
You’ll notice more hours worked, fewer sick days, and usually more engagement if you switch to remote work.
43. Freelancers are productive for 36 hours a week.
(Truelist)
While studies around the 40-hour work week are showing that most people do not spend 40 hours a week actually working, it seems that freelancers are likely overworking, especially since their job type demands more time to spend managing their business, themselves.
Communicating Effectively is Key to Getting Work Done
Productivity in the workplace can be a challenge. When you have many different tasks, workflows, styles of work, and people from all different kinds of backgrounds, focus on clear and effective communication. Here are some stats about communicating and the important
44. Employees spend around 5 hours a week simply waiting for people to get back to them with important information.
(Panopto)
Waiting on emails may be the bane of many existing employees. There are ways to simplify communication, such as integrating partners or business-to-business relationships into communication with clients like Slack.
Project management software can help track some of these gaps. Using project management software and time tracking software gives you a better idea of how much time is wasted on poor communication.
45. Unified communications (UC) phone systems provide an average 52% boost in productivity and a 25% increase in profit.
(Digium)
Unified communication phone systems incorporate multiple communication methods for a business. Whether you need to communicate via text, email, messenger, or phone call, doing so through a UC can improve productivity. Stats suggest a 52% boost in workplace productivity, equating to a 25% increase in operational profit.
46. 94% of surveyed said that video conferencing’s top benefit is increased efficiency and productivity.
(Digium)
Being in a room with someone can drastically reduce the time spent explaining what you need. Unfortunately, connecting with someone in person is not always possible. Video conferencing software is a major seller in this regard. By connecting with individuals through video chat, you can have a better social experience and rapport and boost efficiency and productivity.
Ways to Improve Productivity
In addition to remote work and clear communication, there are more ways to boost productivity, including technology and data-driven productivity plans. Here are eight consider in your workplace:
47. 75% of global organizations used more productivity tools in 2021.
(FinancesOnline)
Implementing technology is one of the best things a company can do for productivity. Whether through the Internet of Things, which could improve productivity by 46%, or employee monitoring software, technology clarifies poor productivity and gives managers solution-oriented data.
48. 92% of employees say having technology that helps them do their job efficiently affects their work satisfaction.
(Ultimate Software)
It’s overwhelming that technology profoundly impacts productivity, workflow, and work-wellbeing. Nowadays, most companies rely on technology, and adding more technology offerings for your employees to use will only increase the number of ways things can be done.
Sometimes this can be confusing, so make sure you offer streamlined technology and clear training so operations don’t break.
49. Gamification can increase productivity in the workplace, according to 89% of employees surveyed.
(TalentLMS)
Gamification is the ability to make something, whether sinking sales or sending emails, a competition. By competing with their coworkers (in fun ways), your employees are more engaged with the task and will even set their sights on ways to improve their tasks.
Gamification makes things fun, even though sometimes work can be a drag!
50. 67% of survey respondents believe it would be easier to focus on work if important information from all their apps appeared in a single window.
(Business Wire)
It can be hard to track when employees have to switch back and forth between apps. Some businesses rely on multiple computer screens to get this job done, but that’s not always possible. Having important information in a dashboard can help to streamline your business.
51. Productivity losses related to fatigue cost an estimated $1,967 per employee each year.
(JOEM)
Sleep is pivotal in employee mental health and wellbeing and productivity. Employees who are tired due to fatigue are costing businesses money – almost $2,000 each (per employee!). Encouraging your employees to get a good night’s sleep, which can be affected by loads of things, can save your business money.
52. Replacing 2.5 hours of work weekly with exercise can increase productivity.
(JOEM-2)
In addition to sleep, studies have found that exercise can increase productivity. Employees should be encouraged to exercise throughout the day. As little as 2.5 hours of low-intensity aerobic exercises a week can boost productivity and time management skills by 72%!
Your employees should take breaks, speak positively about their breaks, and exercise more. Encourage time off throughout the day for walks or casual bike rides!
53. Proper nutrition can increase job performance by 25%.
(CMI)
This was concluded by a productivity study conducted over a period of three years, with 20,000 employees questioned annually. Those workers that ate five fruit and vegetable portions at least four days a week proved to be 25% more productive than those who didn’t have a habit of doing so.
54. 65% of employees state that they’re more productive during the holidays.
(Robert Half)
Employees want to enjoy their holidays, but it can be hard to do when work is piling up. Holidays periods give employees time to catch up while it is peaceful and quiet. And, sometimes, relatives are in town to give the family a boost of help!
55. 46% of employees feel that digital tools make them more productive!
(Gitnux)
Productivity would increase if employees could put all of the valuable information on one screen. So while digital tools can be unhelpful at times, a large portion of employees find digital tools to be very helpful when used for productivity and work.
56. Time blocking in 90-minute intervals helps improve productivity.
(Truelist)
With all the latest gadgets out there, something as simple as time blocking can improve productivity. 90 minute intervals can do wonders for productivity.
Best Ways to Boost Productivity in the Workplace
These top 2024 stats are clear: workplace productivity is continually being hampered by distractions, coworkers, stress, and more. Technology can improve some productivity, but it also contributes to productivity losses. And from a financial point of view, productivity losses can be significant!
Consider implementing productivity software. By incorporating software like employee monitoring and project management for in-house and remote teams, you will see improved collaboration, communication, and performance. You’ll also get clear metrics around the number of completed tasks, wasted time, time spent on apps and projects, and much more.
Without the data, you have no real way of knowing where your “time” and money are going. Use employee tracking software so you can stay ahead of pesky projects and keep your employees motivated!
By SoftActivity Team.
Sources
Remote Collaborative Worker Survey
The American Institute of Stress