There are some new stats out about hourly workers. The study, by John P. Robinson of the University of Maryland, is gaining some popularity in the media. Conducted for the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the study found that the “respondents tend to overestimate their work hours by 5–10 percent in relation to [their actual worked] hours.”
The reason? They don’t want to appear lazy!
Another insightful observation made in the study notes that respondents over-estimated their hours spent on housework as well. This would reinforce a conclusion that people simply do not want to seem lazy, in any aspect of their life.
Business leaders can take away some brief insights from these conclusions. While the study is not claiming that your hourly employees are fudging hours, do consider how you schedule your employees and, if applicable, how reliable their reports are. Are the employees clocking-in-and-out? Reporting billable hours on their own? Given your business needs, you may want to consider utilizing a reliable time attendance system.
Image credit: Dominicspics
Study: Hourly Workers Overestimate Time Worked
