Korn Ferry believes Q2 2019 UK labour productivity figures will be similar to Q1, a drop of 0.2 per cent, mainly due to the summer weather.
The Q1 figures were announced on 5th July by the Office for National Statistics (ONS). Research in to productivity during the summer by the firm found that nearly half (46 per cent) of workers admit that their personal productivity drops during the summer months.
Over three quarters (78 per cent) hold the opinion that their colleagues are less productive during the summer period.
A quarter (25 per cent) admitted to skipping work so they could enjoy the sunny weather. The research found that companies could do more with 71 per cent of organisations failing to offer amended work hours as well as 61 per cent not offering team-building summer events outside the office.
Recently, Korn Ferry, discovered in another survey that workers find it hard to get out of the office mindset during their holiday as 45 per cent said they check in with the office numerous times. Also 65 per cent said they have even cut their own holiday short due to work pressures.
Kay Cooper, managing director, EMEA at Korn Ferry said:
In a competitive job market, it’s vital for organisations to understand how their employees actually work and what their needs are, and this extends to seasonal variations in productivity. Summer holds cultural importance as a moment of relaxation and holidays, and clearly for many people this phenomenon impacts workplace performance – yet not many organisations currently attempt to flex around the ‘summer slump.
Matt Weston, managing director at Robert Half, a recruitment consultancy thinks that companies that embrace new technologies can combat this drop in productivity.
Mr Westonn said:
The UK workplace is in the midst of a once-in-a-generation revolution, driven by digital transformation. Technologies such as automation, AI and machine learning can be used to automate manual tasks such as data entry, which frees up employees to focus on more strategic or innovative tasks. Employers that harness the benefits of new technologies in order to boost productivity will be the ones who achieve continued growth in the years to come.
Korn Ferry is a management consulting firm located in 52 different countries. Korn Ferry had 1,060 responses to the online executive survey which took place in May 2019.
Interested in wellbeing? We recommend the Workplace Wellbeing and Stress Forum 2019
Darius is the editor of HRreview. He has previously worked as a finance reporter for the Daily Express. He studied his journalism masters at Press Association Training and graduated from the University of York with a degree in History.
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