Employers are being urged to consider the necessity of business meetings, as new research has shown that over a third are a waste of time.
According to research by online training firm WebEx, employees believe that 37% of face-to-face meetings they are asked to attend are unnecessary and counter-productive.
The research found that the average worker attends more than 91 face-to-face meetings each year, meaning that 33 of these are deemed as pointless.
Not only are unnecessary meetings hindering productivity, the fact that many are being held offsite is contributing to the UK’s carbon footprint, WebEx argued.
Over a quarter (28%) of those surveyed feel that a reduction in the number of face-to-face meetings would improve overall productivity at work, and over half admitted to worrying more about work that needs to be done back at the office during meetings.
Bert van der Zwan, vice president EMEA at WebEx, said: “If the UK is to cut its carbon emissions by up to 32% by 2020, everyone will have to embrace smarter alternatives to commuting and business travel.
“UK businesses also need to wake up to the fact that overloading their employees with unnecessary meetings is not only damaging the environment, it’s reducing productivity, increasing stress levels and creating a poor work-life balance.”
The research also found that many businesses have yet to explore the possibility of online meeting technology, as a means of reducing unnecessary travelling time, costs and environmental impact. According to WebEx, just 5% of business meetings currently take place online.
© Crimson Business Ltd. 2007
