2.55pm, the time when no work is done! Time is when average office employee has their 'most unproductive moment of the day'

  • Workers said they were most likely to be ‘checking social media’ at 2.55pm
  • Many said they needed coffee and chocolate to get working again

By Becky Barrow for MailOnline

Published: | Updated:

It is a problem which afflicts even the most diligent office workers.

After a long and frantic day, their attention starts to wane and they start idly looking at photographs of their friends on Facebook or posting messages on Twitter.

A report, published today, claims to identify the point at which the average office worker reaches ‘their most unproductive point of the day.’ And the answer is 2.55pm.

2.55pm is when office workers lose focus on the task in hand

Energy dip: 2.55pm is when office workers lose focus on the task in hand in an 'after-lunch lull'

Of the poll of 420 office workers in the UK, this was the average time at which workers claim to be hit by the ‘post lunch lull’.

It confirms the suspicions of many frustrated bosses in Britain that their workforce may be staring at their computer - but doing nothing more than gossiping with friends.

Rather than working, the most common confession was that workers decide to ‘check their social media profile’ at this time.

Others said it is time they are most likely to start planning their evening’s activities, such as a trip to the pub or a game of football, which can also involve using Facebook or other websites.

One man who took part in the study, by the website London Offices.com, said: ‘I must confess as soon as the clock shows 3pm, I begin to start planning my evening.

Workers say if they are not concentrating on their job, they are most likely to be checking their social media accounts

Distracted: Workers say if they are not concentrating on their job, they are most likely to be checking their social media accounts

‘At about the same time, my productivity does take a bit of a hit’.

Another said: ‘I tend to go all out in the morning and power through loads of my tasks.

‘The trouble is after lunch I’m completely whacked until I have some sugar.’

Many workers said they can only cope with the working day by having ‘a strong cup of coffee and a bar of chocolate to get them on the move again’ after the 2.55pm bogey time.

Michael Davies, from London Offices.com, the business property experts, said: ‘We all have peaks and troughs when it comes to our levels of productivity.

Business couple sitting in park

Productive: 10.26 am is when workers say they get the most done

‘But the trick is to maintain a steady work level rather than swing between extremes.’ He recommended workers to take a few five minute ‘mini-breaks’ throughout the day, such as going to the water fountain, making a cup of tea or taking a quick walk.

At the other end of the spectrum, workers said their most productive time of the day is 10.26am.

Typically, they said they had checked and responded to their emails and had planned their working day by this time.

The runner-up was 4.16pm when people said they are most likely to be rushing to complete any outstanding tasks from the day in order to leave the office on time.

But their diligence does not last long, according to the poll.

Many workers admitted to ‘mentally switching off’ from work about 18 minutes before they leave the office.

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