Research by money saving website VoucherCodesPro.co.uk has revealed that more than a quarter of working adults in Britain feel they are their least productive in their job roles come the month of December.
Notably, retail was found to be the industry with the lowest staff productivity in December, with 38% of retail staff accounting for those polled who felt unproductive during the winter month.
Respondents who were at their least productive in December (26% of polled participants) were ask to give qualitative data as to why. 43% attributed their lack of motivation to ‘festive happenings‘, while 18% felt it was due to the colder weather. 15% claimed that December was their least productive month at work as a result of high stress levels and 14% claimed their children were to blame for their lower productivity levels in December. The remaining 10% put it down to financial worries.
The team at VoucherCodesPro carried out the research as part of an ongoing study into the motivations of working Britons. 2,416 people aged 18 and over from around the UK took part, each of whom was in full-time employment at the time of the study.
Respondents were asked to disclose during which month they felt the most unproductive in their job role, during 2014, with results revealed as follows:
- December – 26%
- June – 14%
- January – 11%
- July – 10%
- August – 8%
- November – 7%
- February – 6%
- September – 6%
- May – 4%
- March – 4%
- April – 3%
- October – 1%
Commenting on the findings, Nick Swan, CEO of VoucherCodesPro, said:
“We found that productivity is at an all-time low during December, and I can‘t say that I‘m too surprised! With the stress and financial worries of Christmas, as well as the tiredness of a busy year, a lack of productivity is to be expected. It is important that companies and their management motivate the staff to increase productivity levels and ensure a fruitful end to the year.”
