Improving Productivity In The Workplace Essay Research

Improving Productivity In The Workplace Essay, Research Paper

OVERVIEW

Productivity measurement studies (PMS) in modern computerised offices have resulted in significant reassessments of the respective roles of work and relaxation time in the workplace. Although many managers regard PMS as little more than a recurrent and unavoidable pain, they can result in radical re-evaluations of the value of non-work in a work environment. Most workplaces make little allowance for “down time” or relaxation exercises for computer-operating workers. But employers are increasingly aware of the need for breaks and muscle relaxation exercises for health reasons. This paper argues for the value in workplace situations of the playing of games, known in productivity studies as the Beneficial Outlet of Formatted Fun (BOFF). Repeated studies have shown that workers who BOFF regularly report a 17% rise in on-the-job satisfaction. Furthermore, co-workers who BOFF together report an incredible 41% drop in stress levels and a 28% increase in communication.[i] Most workers are used to BOFFing in their spare time, but studies indicate that many would like to BOFF in the office, often with a work colleague. Although most workers are aware that some of their colleagues are solo BOFFers, the office offers unprecedented opportunities for group BOFFs involving two or more co-workers. Such tactics may be regarded by some managers as morally lax or an inappropriate use of office time, but Time & Motion studies are clear that workers returning to their work tasks after a good BOFF are more relaxed, happier and more productive than those who try to work without relaxation breaks. WORK ETHICS

It is a fact little appreciated outside Productivity Measurement that only a fraction of the time employees spend in front of a computer can be classified as “work”. In a typical office environment work tasks can be limited to the following elements of the typical working day: Answering the phone (4%)

Writing letters (9%)

Writing reports (25%)

Making important decisions (1%)

By contrast, non-work tasks account for 61% of the working day. This divides up as follows: Alphabetising things (6%)

Failing to find people you need to talk to (3%)

Trying to fix printer (2%)

Trying to fix photocopier (2%)

Changing wallpaper on computer desktop (3%)

Reading bulleted lists (5%)

Comparing management requests to highlight contradictions (8%)

Last night´s TV (9%)

Wondering why Windows has crashed (3%)

Misunderstanding simple requests (6%)

Sorting teetering pile of memos into something approaching order (3%)

Staring in horror at week-old memo requesting urgent action found at base of teetering pile of memos (5%)

Wondering why percentage breakdowns don´t always add up to 100 (3%)[ii]

The rest of employees´ time is spent playing games. This provides an immediate benefit compared to other non-work activities. The first benefit is that workers playing games are not changing their wallpaper, discussing last night´s TV, misunderstanding elementary instructions, etc. which helps to foster the illusion that they may not be bored, unimaginative wastrels after all. Simultaneously, workers playing games are not spending their time trying to fix things or alphabetise them, both of which inevitably lead to more confusion and breakages.[iii] Games at work, not games with work

Office workers have developed a number of defensive tactics and responses at work to cover the fact that they are not really working. Before computers, workers would cover their desk with letters, reports and random paperwork to give the illusion of activity. Since the virtual desktop has removed the space-filling activity of handwriting, workers have been forced to find more subtle means of disguising inactivity. These include: Printing out multiple copies of a report

Amending one misplaced comma, then printing out a “revised version”

Opening many documents and switching repeatedly between them

Cutting and pasting things

Setting document naming conventions that will be forgotten after a week

Reading online documents that look like they might be work related

Beyond this, the knowledge that a certain task has to be completed during the day can, with careful time management, fill the day with pseudo-productive work. The morning can be spent fiddling on the principle that “I´ve got all day”. Before lunch an appropriately named document can be created so that there is something to point to if asked. In the afternoon a grudging attempt to tackle the task will be made, only to be interrupted by an emergency, leaving the task itself to be rushed off in the five minutes before leaving for home in the evening. Such a work plan leaves the employee anxious and guilty, and the task inadequately completed. It is a far better solution to acknowledge that the worker will spend as little time as possible doing hard work, and allow them to positively structure their time accordingly. A worker can spend half an hour playing games, satisfying their desire to do something interesting, and spend the next 30 minutes performing the requested task (i.e. a 600% increase in work per hour). Playing games at work brings a num

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