3 in 4 UK Employees Handle Personal Tasks During Working Hours. Most Say It Makes Them More Productive

More than 3 in 4 employees surveyed across the UK (76%) say they handle personal tasks during working hours at least a few times a week, according to LiveCareer UK®’s Modern Workday Report 2026. Almost half of surveyed Brits (48%) do so every day.

Key Findings

• Personal tasks are a regular part of the workweek: 76% handle personal matters during working hours at least a few times a week, including 48% who do so every day.
• Most believe short breaks support productivity: 86% say short personal breaks help their productivity, compared with just 3% who say they hurt it.
• Most report spending no more than one hour: 71% spend one hour or less per workday on personal activities.
• Household chores are the most common personal activity: 54% handle household chores during working hours, followed by personal errands (51%) and social media scrolling (50%).

Personal Tasks Are Now Part of the Workday

The survey found that stepping away from work to handle personal matters has become a regular, accepted part of the modern workday. When asked how frequently they handle personal tasks during working hours:

• 48% said every day
• 28% said a few times a week
• 13% said a few times a month
• 6% said rarely
• 5% said never

In total, 76% of employees report handling personal responsibilities on company time at least weekly.

Short Breaks Boost Productivity, Not Distract

Contrary to the belief that personal tasks detract from work performance, employees overwhelmingly view these moments as beneficial resets. When asked how short personal breaks impact their productivity:

• 86% said they improve productivity

• 11% said they have no impact

• 3% said they hurt productivity

Overall, 97% believe these activities either help their productivity or have no meaningful effect. Because the results reflect employees’ own assessments, they measure perceived rather than independently observed productivity.

Most Spend One Hour or Less on Personal Activities

Although personal activities are common, most respondents report limiting the amount of time they spend on them. During a typical workday:

• 14% spend less than 30 minutes
• 57% spend between 30 minutes and one hour
• 19% spend more than one hour but no more than two hours
• 6% spend more than two hours
• 4% spend no time on non-work activities

In total, 71% spend up to one hour on personal activities during a typical workday. Six percent report spending more than two hours.

UK vs Europe

Compared to their peers in mainland Europe (Germany, Spain, France, and Italy), UK workers are more likely to mix personal tasks into their workday. They take breaks more often and spend slightly more time on them – yet remain convinced it makes them better at their jobs.

Here is how UK and European workers compare:

• More frequent breaks: Nearly half of UK workers (48%) handle personal tasks every single day, compared to just 27% of European employees.
• Chores instead of chats: The most common personal task in the UK is household chores (54%), pushing most Brits (57%) to spend between 30 and 60 minutes a day on non-work activities. In contrast, Europeans keep it shorter – 31% spend less than 30 minutes, and their top activity is personal messaging (43%).
• Higher confidence in productivity: Despite spending more time on daily life admin, UK employees are more confident that this flexibility pays off. 86% of Brits believe these breaks boost their productivity, compared to 72% in mainland Europe.

The New Shape of the Workday

The results reflect a broader shift in how employees define productivity. As hybrid and flexible work become more common, workers appear increasingly comfortable weaving personal responsibilities into the workday rather than waiting until after hours.

For employers, the findings suggest that occasional personal breaks are no longer viewed by employees as time lost but as part of a more sustainable approach to managing work and life throughout the day.