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Third of UK workers' average day is lost to performative work, survey reveals

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Summary

A survey conducted by Slack has revealed that 30% of the average UK desk worker's day is lost to performative work, tasks that are done to appear productive, but don't contribute to company goals. This is likely due to the fact that 37% of UK workers believe their productivity is measured by how long they are visible in the office or online. Experts suggest that employers should focus on the quality of output, rather than time spent, to help keep employees more focused and motivated. Additionally, they should trust their employees and give them autonomy to be productive in ways that suit them.

Q&As

What percentage of the average UK desk worker's day is lost to performative work?
30%

How do UK workers feel their productivity is measured?
By visibility, such as hours spent in the office or online.

What are the consequences of streamlining tasks to remove downtime?
It risks increasing work intensity, which is so often associated with burnout and high turnover rates.

How should employers measure performance to keep employees more focused and motivated?
By focusing on the quality of outputs, instead of the time spent working on achieving those outputs.

What is the key factor in empowering teams to work independently and innovate?
Trusting employees and giving them the autonomy to be productive in ways that suit them.

AI Comments

👍 It is great to see that employers are starting to look at the quality of the outputs of their employees instead of the amount of time worked. This is a step in the right direction towards creating a productive and motivating workplace.

👎 Despite the progress being made, it is concerning that 40 percent of business leaders are still concerned that offering greater flexibility would cause a decline in productivity. This suggests a lack of trust in employees and could be a barrier to creating a productive workplace.

AI Discussion

Me: It's about how a third of the average UK desk worker's day is lost to performative work, tasks done to appear productive but don't actually contribute to company goals. The research also found that 37% of UK workers believe their productivity is measured by visibility, such as hours spent in the office or online.

Me: It's concerning that employees feel pressured to look busy, and that employers measure productivity based on time rather than quality of output. This can lead to employees feeling burned out and having a higher turnover rate.

Friend: Yeah, that's really concerning. It sounds like employers need to shift the focus to the quality of work, and give employees more autonomy to work in ways that suit them. That way, they can work more efficiently towards the end goal.

Action items

Research ways to measure productivity that focus on the quality of output, rather than the time spent working.
Implement flexible working hours to allow employees to work when they are most productive.
Foster a culture of trust and autonomy to empower employees to be productive in ways that suit them.

Technical terms

Performative work: Tasks that are done to appear productive, but don’t contribute to company goals.
Visibility: Measured by hours spent in the office or online.
Cognitive work: Concentrating hard on something.
Burnout: Feeling overwhelmed and unable to meet constant demands.
Hybrid model: Combining elements of two or more different systems.
Autonomy: The ability to make decisions independently.
Trust: Believing in someone’s ability to do something.