Connectivity issues cause 'wasted company time'

A new study of 1,000 workers in the UK, who attend meetings as part of their roles, has found that on average a third of an hour is “wasted company time”, with 4.6 minutes put down solely to internet or connectivity issues.

The survey, commissioned by custom online printing and design business MOO and carried out by Research Without Barriers, suggested that UK workers were “extremely unproductive” in meetings – not simply due to poor time management skills and the unnecessary need for small talk, but also due to poor internet connections and broadband networks.

The findings revealed that wasted time was a result of: waiting for attendees to arrive (90 per cent), organising technology (70 per cent), confusion as to who is dialling in or waiting for others to dial in (59 per cent), finding the meeting room (55 per cent) and internet problems (51 per cent).

Furthermore, 63 per cent of the workers admitted to attending at least one meeting every day, with 36 per cent claiming to attend between two and four per week. It is therefore no surprise that the wasted time severely impacts the productivity of individuals and the company as a whole.

Roughly 4.6 minutes is on average spent fixing WiFi and internet problems, which affects 36 per cent of UK workers in Yorkshire, 35 per cent in South West, 32 per cent in East Anglia and 31 per cent in Midlands, North West and Wales.

In London and Scotland, however, the figures drop to 28 per cent and 20 per cent respectively.

The results of the survey ought to be taken in with a pinch of salt, as it also revealed that choosing seats and adjusting the room temperature were factors that impacted the amount of wasted time in meetings.

Although the number of hours spent in meetings varies from profession to profession, the study concludes that wasted company time, especially as a result of unnecessary internet and broadband network issues, had the potential reduce output and productivity in the long-term.