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3 in 4 UK Employees Handle Personal Tasks During Working Hours.
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.
One in three employers see caring responsibilities impacting productivity and absence
One in three employers see caring responsibilities impacting productivity and absence
Employees’ caring responsibilities are already having a measurable impact on UK workplaces, with almost a third (32%) of employers reporting a link with productivity or performance, according to new research from Isio. The same proportion (32%) have seen caring responsibilities affect sickness absence or unplanned leave, while more than a quarter have identified an impact on employee engagement and morale (28%) and employee retention or voluntary turnover (27%).
The findings suggest family pressures are increasingly becoming a business issue as well as an employee wellbeing consideration. Six in ten (60%) employers now monitor the relationship between caring responsibilities and productivity or performance, while 58% monitor the impact on sickness absence and unplanned leave. More than half also monitor the relationship with employee engagement and morale (55%) and retention (53%).
The impact is particularly apparent among medium-sized businesses. Over half (53%) have seen an impact on sickness absence or unplanned leave, while 44% have seen a link between caring responsibilities and productivity or performance. Almost half (46%) have identified an impact on employee engagement and morale.
However, employers face challenges when considering greater investment in family-friendly benefits such as enhanced parental leave, childcare support and carers’ leave. Cost and budget constraints are the most commonly cited barrier, identified by a third (33%) of employers. Almost a quarter (23%) say they are satisfied with their current investment, while 14% cite competing business priorities and one in ten (10%) say there is not a sufficiently clear return on investment or business case.
The findings highlight the importance of employers understanding where caring responsibilities are affecting their workforce before deciding where further support is needed. Rather than simply adding more benefits, using workforce data to identify links with absence, retention and performance can help organisations build a clearer business case and target investment towards the areas where it is likely to have the greatest impact.
Steve Thomson, Wellbeing Lead at Isio, commented: “Family-friendly benefits are sometimes still viewed primarily through the lens of employee wellbeing, but these findings show why the conversation is increasingly becoming a business one too. Caring responsibilities can affect absence, productivity, engagement and whether experienced employees ultimately choose to remain with an organisation.
“The challenge for employers isn’t necessarily to offer more. Over time, benefits can accumulate in response to changing workforce expectations, but that doesn’t always mean they reflect what employees actually need or are delivering the best value. The starting point should be understanding where family pressures are having an impact and looking at whether the support already available is addressing those needs.
“That evidence is also important when making the case for investment. Boards understandably need to see how spending on benefits supports wider business priorities. By linking workforce data with outcomes such as absence, retention and productivity, HR teams can have a much clearer conversation about where targeted support could make a difference. Ultimately, a successful family-friendly strategy is about providing the right support, in the right way and at the right time – and being able to demonstrate the value it delivers.”
Employees recognise the need to re-skill, but managers need stronger tools and organisational support to help people keep pace
Employees recognise the need to re-skill, but managers need stronger tools and organisational support to help people keep pace
Employers face a growing workforce risk as employees struggle to understand which skills they need and how to develop them quickly enough to keep pace with changing work, according to WTW’s latest EX Intelligent report. The proportion of employees who say their manager helps develop their abilities has shifted from 84% to 78% over the past four years, highlighting the need to give managers more support for development conversations. At the same time, only about 30% of organisations have established processes for identifying, assessing and tracking workforce skills.
This mismatch risks creating “capability anxiety”: uncertainty among employees about whether their skills will remain relevant, what capabilities will matter most and where they should focus their development. Employees understand that work is changing. 45% say AI is already important to their daily job and another 22% say it will fundamentally change their work in the future. The pressure point is not change itself, but rather the uncertainty of whether they can keep up, what skills matter most and where to focus next.
Gaby Joyner, Head of Employee Experience Europe at WTW, said: “Employees recognise that work is evolving, but many lack clarity on what skills matter most and how to prepare for what comes next. Without that visibility, uncertainty can become a barrier to confidence and growth.
“To address this, employers need to make development more tangible by equipping managers to have meaningful career conversations, creating clearer visibility into skills and career opportunities, and linking learning directly to the work employees do every day.”
For organisations, skills uncertainty can create a blind spot. If employees cannot connect their current role with future opportunities, confidence may erode, adaptability may slow and investment in new technology may fail to translate into stronger performance.
WTW recommends that employers:
- identify the skills required to deliver current and future business priorities;
- give employees clearer visibility of career pathways, learning opportunities and internal roles;
- equip managers to discuss changing skill requirements and guide development; and
- use employee listening and workforce data to identify where uncertainty or capability gaps may be affecting confidence and performance.
Joyner added: “Workforce transformation is more likely to succeed when employees can see a clear path to growth and organisations have the infrastructure to support it. By making skills, career pathways and development opportunities more visible and actionable, employers can reduce capability anxiety and build a workforce better equipped to adapt, grow and perform.”
Devolved nations facing ‘soft skills’ employment crisis as job applicants lack workplace basics
Devolved nations facing ‘soft skills’ employment crisis as job applicants lack workplace basics
Three quarters of employers in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland struggle to hire candidates with everyday workplace abilities, according to a new report.
The research, published in a new report by skills development organisation City & Guilds, revealed that 74% of employers across the devolved nations agree that it is getting harder to find candidates with the ‘soft skills’ they need with aptitudes like self & time management, face-to-face communication, and growth mindsets more difficult to find within these nations than in other regions.
The report found that the consequences of these skills shortages were already in evidence, with more than a third of employers experiencing operational errors and delays, increased staff turnover, low morale and lower efficiency as a direct result. And nearly three-quarters of employers nationally (74%) say soft skills (also termed ‘employability’ skills) are now more important than technical expertise for workplace success.
The report also revealed factors, which could account for the skills shortage, with half of the young people surveyed (50%) saying anxiety or mental health conditions have affected their confidence when communicating face-to-face. More than a quarter (27%) reported that pandemic-related factors had impacted their confidence, with significant numbers responding that they simply do not know where to turn for support.
In contrast, young people taking apprenticeships were the most likely to feel completely confident in face-to-face communication skills (48%), with three quarters (74%) benefiting from dedicated employability skills training – more than any other segment.
Andy Moss, Interim Chief Executive Officer of City & Guilds, said: “Employers are telling us loud and clear that employability skills matter just as much as technical know-how, if not more. Yet we’re now seeing a growing human skills shortage. Our findings confirm that apprenticeships and vocational training are highly effective routes to developing the employability skills businesses need, together with the practical experience that’s critical for success in today’s workplace.”
New campaign addresses ineffective support for dyslexia in work
New campaign addresses ineffective support for dyslexia in work
Dyslexia Scotland has unveiled a new national campaign to help ensure Scots with dyslexia can access the support, resources and reasonable adjustments that help them work and learn as equals alongside their peers.
The campaign responds to concerning research by the charity and the University of Glasgow, which revealed that less than half of workers with dyslexia in Scotland are provided with reasonable adjustments at work and, shockingly, a quarter of those who receive them do not find them helpful.
According to Acas, the UK public body that helps resolve workplace disputes and improves employer-employee relations, reasonable adjustments are changes an employer makes to remove or reduce a disadvantage related to someone’s disability. They are tailored to an individual’s needs, and employers have a legal duty to make reasonable adjustments where required.
Dyslexia is the most prevalent learning difference that affects around one in ten people in Scotland and can be considered a disability under the Equality Act 2010.
The employment rate for disabled people has consistently been lower than that of non-disabled people in Scotland. Inaccessible recruitment procedures, digital barriers and non-inclusive workplaces are among the factors that prevent disabled people from securing or staying in employment.
Dyslexia Scotland’s campaign supports the Scottish Government’s ambition to halve the Disability Employment Gap by 2038.
The Right Tools for the Job campaign features recommendations from people with dyslexia about the adjustments and approaches that help them work and learn at their best. Throughout Dyslexia Awareness Week, Dyslexia Scotland will lead a programme of social media content, events and resources that encourage educators, employers and service providers to create more inclusive environments while enabling people with dyslexia to self-advocate for their rights and needs.
Chief Executive of Dyslexia Scotland Cathy Magee said: “Dyslexia Scotland believes that work and learning should be neuro-inclusive. That means creating environments where systems adapt to people, rather than people having to adapt to systems.
“But until that happens, people with dyslexia need to be able to ask for – and receive – reasonable adjustments that help them work and learn within the systems we have today. We’re urging the dyslexic community to speak up and ask for the things you need to help you make your best contribution at work and in learning, and to change-makers to create the conditions for people with dyslexia to thrive. During Dyslexia Awareness Week, we encourage everyone to follow our campaign, come to our free events and download our materials. Every positive action is another step towards a dyslexia-friendly Scotland.”
The charity, which works with schools, employers and communities across Scotland, hopes the campaign will increase the number of people accessing effective reasonable adjustments in learning and the workplace.
Dyslexia Awareness Week Scotland 2026 runs from 28 September to 4 October.
Asda creates 210 new supported internships for young people with special educational needs
Asda creates 210 new supported internships for young people with special educational needs
Asda has become the country’s largest supported internship provider after creating 210 new placement opportunities for young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) across 35 stores nationwide.
The expansion means Asda’s supported internship programme now operates in more locations than any other UK business, addressing a significant employment gap facing young people with learning disabilities. Only 4.8% of people in England and 4.1% in Scotland with a learning disability go on to secure paid employment after completing their education, compared with around 80% of their peers.
Delivered in partnership with DFN Project SEARCH, Asda’s year-long Supported Internship programme combines real workplace experience with tailored education and employability training, helping young people develop the skills, confidence and experience needed to eventually move into work.
Since Asda began working with DFN Project SEARCH in 2023, 43% of interns have progressed into employment – be it with Asda or another business*. With fewer than 6% of young people with learning disabilities in paid work nationally**, supported internship programmes like Asda’s play a vital role in helping participants take their first steps into the workplace.
The expansion comes at a time when policymakers and employers are increasingly focused on tackling youth economic inactivity and creating more pathways into employment for young people who face barriers to work.
James Goodman, Chief People Officer for Asda, said: “We’re incredibly proud to be expanding our Supported Internship Programme and giving more young people with special educational needs the chance to gain real workplace experience.
“Supported internships have been shown to be an effective route into work and we’ve seen first-hand the difference these placements can make, helping young people to build confidence and take important steps towards paid employment. As we continue to grow the programme, we hope more young people can benefit from supported internships and the opportunities they create to build skills, gain experience and move into work.”
Kirsty Matthews, CEO of DFN Project SEARCH said: “We are delighted to see the expansion of our successful programmes with Asda. Through such strong employer partnerships, we are showcasing the incredible impact that supported internships can have.
“We’re so grateful to work with companies like Asda because they demonstrate that when businesses make disability inclusion a priority, everyone benefits. These young people have so much to offer, and programmes like this give them the platform to showcase their talents and build meaningful careers. We look forward to continuing to work with Asda to reach our overall goal of supporting 10,000 young people into employment by 2030.”