- You are here:
- Home »
- Business »
- Why It’s YOUR Fault When Employees Waste Time
Why It’s YOUR Fault When Employees Waste Time
(This is a contributed post)
Most employees will waste some time during the working day, but how much could be down to how you treat them, as their boss.
Productivity is More Important
Some managers put the fact employees are present before productivity. This means that when companies count the number of hours people work, they often end up doing 7 hours or more unpaid overtime.
Research has shown that employees who work a few less hours are more productive than those who have to work an 8 hour day at the very least. Another study said it is impossible for people to work at their best for a straight 8 hours and that employers should be more flexible with working hours.
It needs a change of mindset that puts productivity first, and then your staff will be wasting less time.
Every Day Is The Same
A recent survey asked employees when they wasted most time and the answer that came up more often than any other was Friday afternoons. It is the end of the working week and does not feel like it is starting a new task, or they are just so worn out they cannot motivate themselves to do any more work
Savvy employers realize this and win brownie points with their employees by letting them all finish earlier on a Fridays. This is just a small perk from the bosses point of view, but it is great for the morale of the staff and will help to motivate them to work harder at other times.
Happy employees are more productive, and this is just one tip to help you reach this aim. This and many other employment issues are discussed widely in places like this recruitment blog, as this is a subject close to the heart of many employers. Learn as much as you can and it’ll be easier to get things right in the future.
Insist On Breaks
Everyone needs breaks from their work throughout the day and official ones will waste a lot less time than ones they decide to take for themselves. Make sure they have someone comfortable to sit and have a drink, and then when they return to their workstation the mind will be more alert and they will work better.
If they are going to take breaks anyway, why not make them official, as this is another way of giving them a perk with their job.
Do You Have A Choice?
When you hire someone it is to do a particular job. If they are managing to produce good quality work in six hours instead of the eight you insist they stay in the workplace for, then they are fulfilling their promise to you.
You really need to focus on the amount of work they do and to what standard they produce it. This is far more important than making them stay at their desk from 9 in the morning till 5 at night, as all that will achieve is resentment. If they have spare time let them decide whether to waste it or to help someone else that perhaps is struggling, and only consider getting rid of them if their work is below standard.
