In the old days “time theft” meant extended coffee breaks and long lunch hours. Employees sneaking out for a smoke break or lingering at the water cooler were the culprits. Fast forward to today and time theft means scrolling through social media, online shopping or binge watching shows during work hours. Now the distractions are digital, everywhere and harder to catch.
What is Time Theft?
Time theft is when employees use company time for personal activities which affects productivity and profitability. It’s a silent drain on resources that can go unnoticed but has a big cumulative effect on a business. In this blog we will explore practical and actionable ways to identify, address and prevent time theft in your company to boost productivity and employee engagement.
Types of Time Theft
Here are some examples of time theft that you can recognise among your staff.
- Long Breaks: Taking longer breaks than allowed.
- Personal Internet Use: Surfing the web, social media or online shopping. Employees spend 2.5 hours a day on social media at work even if websites are blocked.
- Procrastination: Putting off work tasks for non-work related activities.
- Buddy Punching: Clocking in or out for each other.
- Socializing: Excessive chatting with colleagues.
How to Spot Time Theft
Spotting time theft is key to productivity and fairness in the workplace. Let’s break it down:
Frequent Absence
This is more than just the occasional sick day. It’s a pattern of unexplained absences or last minute call outs without proper documentation. In a remote setting this is being unreachable during work hours or not showing up to scheduled virtual meetings.
Missed Deadlines
While occasional delays can happen due to unexpected circumstances, consistently missing deadlines is a red flag. This could be poor time management or deliberate procrastination. You need to differentiate between genuine obstacles and habitual late-ness.
Less Output
A big drop in productivity or quality of work that can’t be explained by external factors (like increased workload or personal issues) might be time theft. This could be submitting incomplete work, making silly mistakes or doing less work than usual.
Unpredictable Work Habits
Sudden changes in work behavior can be telling. For example an employee who was always productive suddenly becomes erratic in their output or response. This could be long periods of inactivity followed by bursts of work, they might be doing non work activities during work hours.
Too Much Socializing
Some social interaction is normal and even good for team bonding, but too much chatting or personal calls during work hours is time theft. In a remote setup this is harder to detect but could manifest as delayed responses to work related messages or being consistently distracted during video calls.
Too Many Breaks
Taking more or longer breaks than allowed by company policy is time theft. In a remote work setup this could be noticed through extended periods of inactivity or being unavailable during core hours.
Remember to approach these signs with sensitivity and open communication. There could be underlying issues causing these behaviors, burnout, personal problems or lack of engagement with work. Before making decisions, managers should have open conversations with employees to understand the root cause and offer support if needed.
How Can Technology Help?
Technology that steals time can be used to help organizations and individuals. Here are some tools and tactics to boost productivity and accountability in remote work.
Time-Tracking Tools
Apps like Handdy let employees log their time spent on tasks. This data will give insights into work habits, for employees and managers to see where they can improve time management. Also for accurate client billing and project costing.
Productivity Monitoring Software
Productivity monitoring tools can track employee activities during work hours. Tools like Handdy can give valuable data on productivity and work habits. Features may include screenshot capture, app usage tracking, idle time monitoring.
Managers should be open to feedback and willing to adjust according to team needs and preferences. In the end, it’s to create a productive, efficient and positive remote work environment for both employees and the organization.
Self-Management
Self-management is a key skill for remote workers and managers can develop it through many ways. Sharing personal productivity tips like Pomodoro Technique or Eisenhower Matrix can help employees manage their time and tasks better.
Setting clear and achievable goals gives direction and purpose, so workers can stay focused and motivated. Regular check-ins and feedback sessions will keep employees on track and allow for timely adjustments and continuous improvement.
These practices will not only improve individual performance but also team productivity and engagement in remote work.
If you are looking to deploy a time tracking/productivity monitoring tool for your office, check out www.handdy.com for more information.
