Very few of us can honestly say that we are productive every minute of the working day. Whether it’s the 15 minutes we spend drinking coffee with colleagues or the hours we fritter away on social media, most of us waste time when we should reasonably be working.
In his book Empty Labour: Idleness and Workplace Resistance, which was reviewed yesterday in The National, author Ronald Paulsen cites studies that suggest that the average amount of time an employee wastes at work in the US is between one-and-a-half and three hours a day. Some think this “empty” time affects output, while others say it’s a good way to recharge the mind.
On the flip side, some European companies have introduced rules to protect employees from work email after hours, recognising that many workers do not voluntarily exercise the “off” switch and will still respond to correspondence when they are at home or on holiday. The German car maker Volkswagen, for instance, turns off company emails 30 minutes after the end of the work day.
But what would be your preference: a work ban on social media so you can be more productive at your desk or not having to answer work emails when you are at home? We turn this over to you. Email us your opinions at letters@thenational.ae – but if you are doing this at work, we’d recommend writing to us when the boss is not around.
