Employees are spending up to 48 per cent of standard working hours idle or on non-productive activities, potentially pushing core work into evenings and weekends and contributing to weekly working hours of more than 50, according to new research from WorkTime.
The productivity analytics firm found that unstructured workflows, meeting overload and daytime distractions can contribute to employees extending their workdays, rather than overtime being driven solely by high workloads.
The findings point to a dual challenge for employers: additional payroll costs from unnecessary or disputed overtime, alongside higher risks of employee burnout when extended working hours become sustained.
Daytime productivity gap drives overtime
According to the report, employees can spend nearly half of their standard working day away from productive work. As a result, essential tasks may be pushed into evenings or weekends, creating the appearance of higher workloads and increasing overtime hours.
WorkTime said computer activity data also shows that being logged in for longer does not necessarily translate into productive output. Employees may remain online outside standard hours without completing a corresponding amount of work.
"Overtime is often misunderstood as a pure capacity issue, when in reality it is usually a workflow and tracking issue," said Kirill Nesterenko, founder of WorkTime.
"When companies lack visibility into how daytime hours are spent, they end up paying twice – first through lost productivity during the day, and second through overtime pay at night. Clear structure and transparent time management solve both problems."
The research also highlights the risk of inaccurate overtime claims when organisations lack objective visibility into working patterns. Without activity data, employers may struggle to distinguish legitimate additional work from hours that are logged but do not reflect productive activity.
Employers urged to address workflow issues
WorkTime said organisations can reduce unnecessary overtime by setting clearer workload expectations, improving workflow structures and using non-invasive time-tracking tools to understand how working hours are being spent.
The report argues that the objective should not be to extend employee monitoring, but to identify where working time is being lost and whether additional hours are genuinely required.
Sustained working weeks exceeding 50 hours are also associated with increased risks of burnout and employee turnover, according to the report, highlighting the need for employers to address the causes of extended working hours rather than treating overtime as a standalone capacity issue.
The findings underline a broader workforce management challenge: improving productivity may require organisations to redesign how work is structured during standard hours, rather than simply asking employees to work longer.