As Labor Day Looms, Red Bull Poll Finds Workplace Productivity Diminishes Before A Holiday

SANTA MONICA, Calif., Aug. 26, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- A national poll conducted by Harris Interactive on behalf of Red Bull North America surveyed U.S. workers¹ and exposes lack of energy as a primary obstacle to productivity in the workplace. Surprisingly, some American employees (4%) report tiring after just one hour of work. The survey also found that the greatest challenges to workplace productivity are lack of energy and too much to do. Employed adults ages 18-54 (14%) were three times more likely than those ages 55+ (3%) to start feeling less productive within the first three hours of their workday. In today's fast-paced economy, an average workday is rarely confined to eight hours. This poses a major challenge for today's workforce, increasing the need to stay alert, energized and focused to get everything done.

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With Labor Day coming up, the survey showed that nearly half of U.S. employees ages 25-49 may be working at lower productivity rates in expectation of a holiday break; 48% agree that their productivity at work diminishes just before, or immediately following, a holiday or a planned vacation. Those ages 25-49 in the South (55%) are more likely than those in the West (41%) to admit that. When looking at all U.S. employees, women (47%) are more likely than men (40%) to admit this is true for them.

According to the survey results, employed Americans ages 25-49 who drink energy drinks consume about four per week on average and 92% feel their productivity increase in some way after they drink one. The majority feel more energetic (60%) after drinking an energy drink, while over a third are able to power through their entire workday (40%), and/or are better able to concentrate on work tasks (31%). 

KEY SURVEY FINDINGS:

When Productivity Diminishes

• One-in-ten (11%) employed U.S. adults feel their productivity diminishes within the first three hours of their workday.
• One-in-twenty (5%) American employees age 25-49 admit they begin to feel their productivity start to diminish in the first hour of their workday.
• More than half (57%) of U.S. workers claim their productivity diminishes 4-8 hours into their day.  
• Employed adults ages 18-34 and those ages 45-54 (both 7%) are more likely than those 55+ (1%) to feel their productivity diminish in the first hour of their workday.
• Those with children under 18 in their household are more likely than those with no children to get tired within the first three hours of work (17% vs 8%).
  • Employed adults with kids younger than six years old in their household were more likely than those with children age 6-17 present in their household to say this (25% vs 14%).

When in Need of a Boost…

• Four-in-ten (38%) employed U.S. adults ages 25-49 consume at least one energy drink in a typical work week.
• The average number of energy drinks consumed in a typical workweek is about 4 (3.7) (among those who drink energy drinks) during a typical workweek.
• Men ages 25-49 are more than twice as likely as women in this age group (20% vs. 9%, respectively) to consume 4+ energy drinks in a workweek.
• Nearly two-thirds (63%) of employed Americans who consume energy drinks at work start and/or end their day by drinking one.
  • 45% typically start their day by consuming an energy drink.
  • 26% typically end their day by consuming an energy drink.

Southern Exposure

• Southern employees self-report as the most productive region, with 22% reporting that they never experience a dip in productivity during their workday, as compared to the percentages of those in the Northeast (13%), Midwest (10%) and West (14%) who say the same.
• Among 25-49 year old employees, 10% say that being confused about what to do at work represents their single greatest challenge to productivity. This was more common in the Northeast and Midwest (both 13%) than in the South (10%) and West (4%).

Survey Methodology

This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Interactive on behalf of Red Bull North America from June 7-11, 2013 among 2,046 adults ages 18 and older, among whom 1,093 are employed. This online survey is not based on a probability sample and, therefore, no estimate of theoretical sampling error can be calculated. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables, is available upon request.

¹ For the purposes of this study, "U.S. workers" are defined as U.S. adults 18 and older who are employed full-time, part-time and/or self-employed.

SOURCE Red Bull