Dubai: Most office employees find the start of the working week so demoralising that they cannot even bear to crack a smile until almost afternoon, new research showed Monday.
In fact, the research claims to have cracked the code on how long it takes on average to crack our first smile in office at the beginning of the week – it’s 11.16am on Monday. For employees in Dubai and elsewhere in the region, that would be 11.16am on Sundays or Saturdays, depending on your weekend.
The study by Marmite found that most workers find the start of the week so grim that nearly 50 per cent report late for work, and the biggest whiners are in the 45-54 year age group, who spend at least 12 full minutes moaning. And as office staff struggle to shake off the beginning-of-week blues, they will only manage three and a half hours of productive work.
According to experts, the sluggish start and work avoidance tactics are dictated by our tribal instincts. Workers like to feel part of their tribe again after the weekend and need to chat to each other and spend time in communal areas, according to British clinical psychologist Professor Alex Gardner.
“Work could be the best place for you on Monday because we are essentially cavemen in city suits. We want to feel part of the tribe so we go for a cup of tea catch up and then settle down to work,” he said. “Having done the tribal bonding, we are geared up for a productive week while some people who have started all guns blazing on a Monday morning may burn themselves out,” he said.
However, the Marmite study also offers several activities to shake away the Monday morning blues - watching TV, online shopping, buying chocolate or make-up and planning a holiday.
