Breaks and productivity: An exploratory analysis

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Cognitive Psychology
• Human Factors Engineering

Background:

• The Fair Labor Standards Act suggests short rest periods may improve productivity.
• Limited experimental research exists on the impact of programmed work breaks on employee performance.

Purpose of the Study:

• To experimentally compare employee productivity with and without programmed work breaks.
• To investigate the effect of short, frequent breaks on task completion rates.

Main Methods:

• Sixteen undergraduate students participated in two 2-hour sessions of a simulated check-processing task.
• One session included programmed 5-minute breaks every 20 minutes; the other served as a control with no required breaks.
• Participants were randomly assigned to the order of the sessions to control for order effects.

Main Results:

• 75% of participants completed significantly more checks during the session with programmed breaks.
• Participants took more unprogrammed break time during the control session compared to the experimental session.
• The difference in productivity between the two conditions was statistically significant.

Conclusions:

• Programmed short work breaks can lead to a significant increase in employee productivity.
• The findings highlight the practical value of structured breaks in optimizing work performance.
• Further research is warranted to explore the optimal frequency and duration of breaks for different tasks.