Work breaks enhance productivity, study finds
Productivity in the workplace has increased in recent years, the survey has found, and other trends—including Bring Your Own Device policies and re-imagined work spaces—are gaining favor.
When your productivity starts to ebb, take five. A short break may seem like an obvious solution, but office workers and managers agree that break times are essential to a productive workday.
A recent study by Staples Advantage, the business-to-business division of the office supply company Staples Inc., shows that more than 70 percent of office workers and managers alike believe employees are more productive today than they were five years ago. Break times, mobile technology, and telecommuting were all cited as reasons for increased productivity, but Staples Advantage suggests we can do better.
[RELATED: Hear powerful case studies from The Coca-Cola Company, Walmart and Whole Foods Market in October at Microsoft’s HQ.]
Like bag phones and floppy disks, the traditional wall-to-wall cubicle layout is a thing of the not-so-distant past, and a water cooler in the corner won’t cut it as a “break room.”
“Stepping away from work in nearby break rooms helps foster productivity by allowing healthy mental breaks,” Staples cited in a press release about the study.
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