One-fourth of office workers suffer from chronic boredom

• Reprints

THE OFFICE -- "Oscar's Return" Episode 3013 -- Pictured: (l-r) Leslie David Baker as Stanley Hudson, B.J. Novak as Ryan Howard -- NBC Photo: Justin Lubin

Updated: February 23, 2012 8:18AM

Chronic boredom grips one-fourth of office workers, which may affect their quality of work as well as their physical and mental health, a new study suggests.

British researchers asked 102 office workers if they got bored at work and how they managed that boredom.

Of those surveyed, 25 percent said they are chronically bored and often eat chocolate or drink coffee to cope. They also said they were more likely to drink alcohol at the end of day.

Boredom also affected how well the workers performed their jobs. Nearly 80 percent said boredom caused them to lose their concentration, and more than half said it caused them to make mistakes. About half of the workers admitted that boredom might force them to leave their job.

“My analysis of the results suggests that the most significant cause of office boredom is an undemanding workload. So managers should look at ways of reducing sources of workplace boredom and at encouraging healthier ways of coping,” said Dr. Sandi Mann, from the University of Central Lancashire. “We also found that some people are far more prone to boredom than others. Managers might consider using boredom-proneness as a tool when they are selecting staff or making decisions about staff development.”

The researchers noted that job rotation and other enrichment programs might help reduce boredom in the workplace. Providing workers with healthy snacks and drinks might encourage them to avoid unhealthy indulgences, they said.

The findings were presented at a meeting of the British Psychological Society’s Division of Occupational Psychology in Chester, England.

Gannett News Service