Time-Wasting Epidemic: 6 in 10 Workers Lose Over a Month of Productivity Every Year to Distractions at Work

We all get distracted at work — but just how much time are employees losing to non-work activities? A new survey from Resume Now reveals that social media and other distractions are cutting into productivity in a big way. According to the 2025 Time-Wasting Report, based on a survey of 1,127 U.S. workers conducted in February 2025, more than half (53%) of employees admit to regularly posting selfies or social media updates during work hours, with another 41% doing it occasionally.

The report also found that 58% of workers waste between 30 minutes to 1 hour per day on distractions like social media, personal emails, and online shopping. Nearly 1 in 5 (19%) say they waste at least 90 minutes daily on non-work tasks. Over the course of a year, that adds up to more than a month of lost productivity — costing companies millions. So, what's causing this time-wasting epidemic, and how can employers and workers address distractions at work? Let's break down the data.

Key Findings

• 53% of workers admit to regularly posting selfies or social media updates during work hours and 41% do it occasionally.
•  27% say social media is their biggest distraction, ranking higher than emails, meetings, and online shopping.
• 58% of employees waste between 30 minutes to 1 hour per day on non-work activities, while another 19% waste up to 90 minutes a day.
• 4 in 10 (41%) say they attend meetings on a daily basis that feel like a waste of time.
• 47% of employees say workplace tools like Slack, email, and project management apps often contribute to time-wasting.

Time-Wasting at Work: The Numbers

The survey data reveals just how much time employees are losing to distractions each day — and the numbers are significant. While a small percentage of workers manage to stay highly focused, most are losing at least 30 minutes of productivity every day.

• The majority of respondents (over 58%) report wasting between 30 minutes to 1 hour per workday on non-work activities.
• A notable 19% of employees report spending up to 90 minutes distracted, while 14% extend that to 2 hours.
• Only 6% report wasting less than 15 minutes per day, and nobody claims they don't waste any time at all.

What This Means: For employees, this highlights the challenge of staying focused in a world full of distractions. Losing 30 to 90 minutes each day can make it harder to meet deadlines and increase work-related stress. For employers, this data suggests a need for better strategies to help workers manage their time more effectively — whether that means limiting unnecessary meetings, improving task prioritization, or encouraging short, meaningful breaks to maintain focus.

Most Common Workplace Time Wasters

Social media is the biggest distraction at work — but it's not the only one. Employees are also losing valuable work time to personal messages, streaming, and even daydreaming. While these distractions might seem small, they quickly add up to significant lost productivity.

• Social media – 27%
• Personal texts and emails – 16%
• Watching videos or streaming – 15%
• Daydreaming or zoning out – 13%
• Online shopping or browsing – 12%
• Gaming or mobile apps – 11%

The following infographic is a visualization of this data:

Over 53% of workers admit to regularly posting selfies or social media updates during work hours, with another 41% doing so occasionally. This suggests that social media isn't just a quick distraction — it's becoming part of the workday.

What This Means: Constant distractions at work can make it harder for employees to stay focused and meet deadlines. While quick breaks to check social media or respond to personal messages might feel harmless, they create a pattern of lost focus and reduced efficiency. Employers can help by setting clear guidelines for personal tech use during work hours and encouraging focused work blocks with scheduled break times.

Productivity Loss and Cost Estimation

Wasting just one hour a day might not seem like much—but over time, it adds up to a staggering loss of productivity and money. Losing an hour a day means:

• 5 hours per week of lost productivity.
• 260 hours per year — the equivalent of over six full workweeks annually.

For a company with 1,000 employees, this translates to 260,000 lost work hours every year. At an average wage of $25 per hour, that amounts to $6.5 million in potential lost wages due to workplace distractions.

What This Means: For employees, this loss of time can create added pressure to catch up on work and meet deadlines. For employers, the financial impact is significant — and points to the need for better strategies to help employees manage their time more effectively. Reducing unnecessary meetings, limiting distractions, and encouraging focused work sessions could help recover some of these lost hours.

Meetings Are a Major Time-Waster

Meetings are meant to improve communication and alignment — but for many employees, they've become a major source of wasted time. Too many meetings, combined with poor organization and off-topic discussions, are eating into valuable work hours.

• 41% say they attend meetings daily that feel like a waste of time, while another 42% experience this weekly.
• Delays caused by late attendees are the biggest meeting-related time-waster (41%).
• 24% believe many meetings could have been handled via email.
• 19% say off-topic discussions derail productivity.

Types of Meetings That Waste the Most Time:

• 33% said large group meetings where their input isn't needed are the most time-wasting.
• 31% said status update meetings with no real discussion waste time.
• 29% pointed to unfocused discussions that lack a clear agenda as major time wasters.

What This Means: Too many meetings — or poorly managed ones — can disrupt focus and drain productivity. For employees, this creates frustration and limits the time available to complete meaningful work. Employers can address this by cutting down on unnecessary meetings, setting clear agendas, and ensuring only essential participants are involved. Encouraging more efficient communication through email or project management tools could also help reclaim lost time.

How Workplace Tools Contribute to Time-Wasting

Communication and project management tools are designed to improve efficiency — but for many employees, they've become a source of distraction. Constant notifications, message overload, and unclear communication are cutting into focused work time.

• 47% of employees say workplace tools like Slack, email, and project management apps often contribute to time-wasting.
• 22% say these tools constantly cause distractions.
• 29% feel that these tools only rarely cause time-wasting.
• 3% of respondents believe workplace tools never waste time.

What This Means: While tools like Slack and email can help streamline communication, overuse can lead to constant interruptions and reduced productivity. For employees, this means struggling to balance responsiveness with focused work time. Employers can help by setting clearer guidelines around tool use — such as encouraging "do not disturb" hours and limiting the need for immediate responses to non-urgent messages.

How Employees Justify Time-Wasting

Despite the impact on productivity, many employees don't see time-wasting as a serious problem. In fact, most workers have their own reasons for justifying it — whether it's to manage stress or because they believe it's harmless.

• 29% of workers claim they make up for wasting time by working harder later.
• 21% believe wasting time helps prevent burnout.
• 20% justify it by saying, "Everyone does it."
• 19% feel that as long as their boss doesn't notice, it's not a problem.

What This Means: These responses highlight that time-wasting isn't always about laziness — it's often a coping mechanism for stress or burnout. For employees, this suggests a need for better work-life balance and more manageable workloads. For employers, understanding why employees feel the need to waste time could lead to more effective solutions, such as reducing pressure, providing more flexibility, and encouraging regular breaks to recharge.

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Methodology:

The findings provided were gathered through a survey conducted with 1,127 American workers on February 25, 2025. Participants were asked about their time-wasting habits, workplace distractions, and the frequency of procrastination at work. Participants responded to various question types, including yes/no questions, open-ended questions, scale-based questions gauging agreement levels, and questions that permitted the selection of multiple options from a list of answers.

For press inquiries, contact Joseph Santaella at joseph@resume-now.com.

Keith Spencer, CPRW

Career Expert

Keith is a Career Expert and content contributor for Resume Now. He is a Certified Professional Resume Writer (CPRW) with over a decade of experience in the career development field. Keith also holds a Master's of Education from Cabrini University.

Read more articles by Keith Spencer, CPRW