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Survey: Most Office Workers Logging Extra Hours

Seventy percent of American office workers and managers are laboring for more than 40 hours per week and suffering from burnout.  That’s one of the key findings of the just-released 2016 Staples Business Advantage Workplace Index, which also revealed that nearly half of workers say that feeling overworked is motivating them to look for a new job.

Even so, the survey says, employers can take proactive steps to create a productive workplace culture that is healthy and reduces employee stress.

One option is to implement a wellness program, as nearly two-thirds of respondents said such programs are a selling point when looking for a new job, the study showed. Only 35% of workers and managers have such a program at their current job. Additionally, employees want their kitchen, lounge, café or breakroom to be well stocked. The survey found successful breakrooms continue to lead to happier and more productive employees.

Furthermore, the study indicates that breaking down barriers to productivity could help employees get more done in a shorter time and feel less stressed on the job. Top impediments to productivity include inadequate technology, with three in four respondents saying that their employers don’t give them access to the latest technology to do their job efficiently.

While the majority of workers say the office is where they are most productive, most also described their office as standard, plain and dull, the study found. Respondents would prefer offices with natural light, private spaces, standing desks, lounge areas and ergonomic and flexible furniture for multiple uses. Providing such things could create a better work environment that helps fuel productivity.

“This study shows that there is a tremendous opportunity for organizations to focus on and design employee experiences where employees truly want to show up,” says Jacob Morgan, best-selling author of The Future of Work, futurist and cofounder of the Future of Work Community. Staples created the 2016 study in conjunction with Morgan.

Staples Business Advantage is the business-to-business division of Staples, Inc., the parent company of Top 40 distributor Staples Promotional Products (asi/120601).