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File this in the folder of things business managers already knew, but a validation from science and research certainly helps: for the most part, workers don’t particularly care for Mondays.
Coming back to work after a fun-filled or relaxing weekend with family and friends causes a feeling of doldrums come Monday — and even Sunday night for some people. However, a new poll reveals that Mondays aren’t so bad for the engaged worker, which leads to promising implications for business leaders looking to improve their companies overall productivity, and in particular at the start of the work week.
Monday Doldrums
According to a 2011 study conducted by Marmite and reported by The Telegraph, people typically don’t crack their first smile until 11:16 a.m. on Mondays. What’s more, 50 percent of workers won’t show up on time on Mondays either.
The study also revealed that Mondays tend to be a fairly unproductive days for workers, with only about 3.5 hours of work getting accomplished.
So, Who Likes Mondays?
Engaged workers, that’s who. According to a Gallup poll, American employees who like what they do on their jobs, returning to work on Mondays results in a much easier transition than it does for those who aren’t engaged in their work. Workers who are disengaged or find their place of employment less engaging experience a significant mood decline when coming off the weekend into the weekdays.
According to the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index tracking data poll, engaged workers:
- “feel nearly as good on the weekdays as they do on weekend.”
- “they are equally likely to report a lot of happiness, smiling and laughter, being treated with respect, and not a lot of anger regardless of the day of week. And, for engaged workers, learning and doing something interesting peaks during weekdays.”
The Gallup research also found that the engaged workers more likely to collaborate in group efforts and contribute in team meetings.
Business leaders should take note of the Gallup research because its sample size is no small potatoes. The findings were results of telephone interviews conducted during the first half of 2012 of a random sample consisting of 31,265 employed adults 18 and older.
However, it’s important to note that despite the benefits that engaged workers on Mondays, just 30 percent of the workers admitted to being involved or enthusiastic about their work — in other words, engaged. Overall, 18 percent of the respondents indicated being disengaged in their workplace, while 52 percent reported they simply were not engaged at work.
Implications for Business Leaders
This recent 2012 Gallup poll offers some promise for business leaders and managers to better deal with their workers Monday blues. Employers should take specific actions to engage workers and tie the the value of their work to company success.
While there are a myriad of ways to engage employees, and some work better in certain company sizes or industries, here are nine that may work in your organization.
- Ask for help
- Solicit and celebrate ideas
- Recognize achievement
- Make time to listen to employees
- Offer gratitude (i.e. say and write thank you’s, often)
- Don’t sit on decisions too long
- Communicate clear expectations
- Consider setting up a job rotation and/or mentoring program
- Be transparent
Although heading back to work may not be better than a weekend dinner out with friends or family, playing a round of golf, or reading a captivating novel on a warm, sunny beach, managers who implement activities and strategies to actively engage their workers may just find they get more than 3.5 hours of work done from each employee on the dreaded first day of the work week.
