A lapse in focus | Over half of employees can't go 30 minutes without getting distracted - what's an employer to do?

Employees are unable to stay focused on daily, work-related tasks, with 59% saying they can’t go 30 minutes without encountering a distraction toward something non-work related, a recent study has revealed.

The research, from productivity analytics platform Insightful, found that phone notifications and other colleagues distracting them we both reasons for their minds being pulled elsewhere during the working day – with 79% of workers saying they can’t go an entire hour without getting distracted.

These distractions could lead to five-to-ten hours of lost time each week, according to the report. In a climate where productivity gains seem to be at the top of the agenda for many employers, the news that staff attention spans are dwindling won’t be welcomed.

But it’s not always the fault of the employees. There seems to be a difference in the type of distractions staff admit to experiencing. This includes distractions both of a work nature – so by colleagues or managers – or the more common non-work distractions – an urge to check social media, or your child asking you to do something for them.