SEATTLE, July 11, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RescueTime, the award-winning time management app that shows you precisely how you spend your digital time to help you become more productive every day, today announced some alarming insights about communication overload in the workplace: the constant pull into communication tools may be sabotaging our creativity and killing our careers.  

RescueTime found through its analysis of more than 50,000 knowledge workers that the average employee can’t go 6 minutes without checking email or IM and communication tools are a constant source of interruption to our focused work. In fact, 40 percent of workers never get a full 30 minutes of focused time in a workday. And, 17 percent of people can’t even get 15 minutes of focused time without digital communication distractions. Only 30 percent are able to get an hour a day of dedicated focused time, illustrating evidence that most of us rarely get time for our most critical deep work. 

“Digital communication is an important part of how we collaborate in the modern workplace. But, if we are constantly switching our attention to check emails or chat, we never have the chance to focus on our most important work–the work that pushes us forward in our careers.” said Robby Macdonell, CEO of RescueTime. “Knowledge workers need to be able to focus deeply without interruption to do their best work. This is an essential skill that unfortunately most workplaces de-prioritize in favor of always-on responsiveness.”

The RescueTime research also revealed that workers should be conscious about how they’re using technology to communicate and also be aware of how it may be using them:  

• On Demand Work Culture: 36 percent of workers check their email and IM every 3 minutes or less.
• Tool Switching Slack Users: The RescueTime research showed that Slack users were the most chronic communication tool switchers in the workforce. Slack users on average had only 5 minutes in between communication check ins, while non-Slack users could go a “whopping” 8 minutes.
• Inefficiency of Multi-tasking:  Multi-tasking prevents us from doing our best work. A study from Microsoft and the University of Illinois shows it takes over 9 minutes to return to the original task.

With so many distractions in our digital lives, it’s easy today to get sidetracked at work. RescueTime tracks the time you spend on applications and websites, giving you accurate detailed reports and data based on your activity to ensure you feel balanced and productive throughout the day.  

About the RescueTime Communication Overload Study
RescueTime collected and analyzed anonymized productivity data from 50,000 RescueTime users across the globe during the month of June, 2018.

About RescueTime
RescueTime helps people understand their relationship with technology so they can do more of their most important work. By tracking digital activities, RescueTime gives individuals a complete picture of their attention–as well as tools to take action towards a more balanced, meaningful work day. Learn more at www.RescueTime.com

Press Contact:
Carolyn Adams
BlueRun Public Relations
Email: carolyn@bluerunpr.com