One in four office workers complain of “chronic boredom”, causing them to lose concentration and make mistakes.
When they’re bored, they tend to comfort eat, says a survey by occupational psychologist Sandi Mann.
The study of 102 office-based workers also showed that people are more likely to have an alcoholic drink at the end of a boring day at work.
And half of the people surveyed said being bored at work might make them look for another job.
Eight in ten workers believed boredom made them lose concentration, while half said boredom caused them to make mistakes.
Dr Mann, from the University of Central Lancashire, said: “My analysis 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 encourage better ways of coping.
“This could involve enrichment programmes such as job rotation, multi-skilling and empowerment. Encouraging healthier ways of coping with boredom could include education or providing healthy snacks and drinks in canteens.”
The study also showed that some people are more prone to getting bored than others.
