It would seem obvious that when someone is distracted at work they’re more prone to making mistakes or omission errors because they can’t concentrate, but the potential consequences can be much more far-reaching than initially assumed. For example, when employees are constantly being interrupted they are unable to fulfil expected deadlines or meet performance targets. This in turn leaves them feeling stressed, unmotivated and frustrated.
The resulting fall in productivity means that businesses are unable to provide their products and services at full capacity, affecting revenue and profits. As for employees, their growing dissatisfaction leads to higher levels of stress and increased turnover, incurring yet more financial costs for businesses due to the expenses associated with recruiting and training replacements.
An astonishing 28% of work time is believed to be wasted as a result of workplace distractions and the subsequent time it takes to recover and get back into a productive work flow. Distractions typically consume up to 3 hours per working day, amounting to $24 — $36 million wasted in wages annually for a business with 1000 employees. It is estimated that workplace distractions are costing businesses in the United States upwards of $650 billion per year, which translates into $4,500 per employee on an annual basis.