Getting stuff down before the holidays is a concern most employers are well-acquainted with, whether or not they allow their workers to shop for Christmas deals at work.
Not only do days preceding major holidays often feature a rash of absences from employees taking vacation, but there are plenty of workers distracted by holiday planning. Some are stressed by the obligations of family gatherings, while others are too distracted by the anticipated joys of the holidays to focus on work.
But a new survey from Robert Half, an employment consulting firm, shows that most workers do not believe the holidays are a major impediment to work. A sizeable number of them, in fact, believe the holidays motivate them to get more done on the job.
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Specifically:
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15 percent say they are "much more" productive before the holidays
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17 percent say they are somewhat more productive
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47 percent say the holidays make no difference
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18 percent say they are somewhat less productive
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4 percent say they are much less productive
The same survey also examined what hours of the day workers get the most done. The following is when employees said they were the least productive:
8 to 10 a.m.: 15 percent
10 a.m. to noon: 9 percent
Noon to 2 p.m.: 15 percent
2 to 4 p.m.: 24 percent
4 to 6 p.m.: 29 percent
Don't know: 9 percent
Consistent with conventional wisdom, the late hours of the workday are when workers are most likely to tune out, although there's clearly a sizeable constituency of non-morning folks who would probably agree with experts who say the work day should start later to encourage more sleep.
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