Employee Interruptions Are Damaging Productivity

Several studies highlight this troubling reality.

A study sounds the alarm. According to an Ipsos-BVA survey published in June and noted by Le Monde, French employees are interrupted 4.7 times an hour - or once every 13 minutes on average.

Interruptions undermine employee productivity

As well as emails, employees must contend with a wide range of demands: workplace messaging platforms, video calls, in-person meetings, requests for feedback and incident tickets. Unsurprisingly, 84% of workers believe these interactions tend to hinder their productivity, while 32% say they increase their stress levels, raising concerns about a greater prevalence of burnout symptoms.

In addition, 64% of employees would like support to improve their concentration, while 58% believe their companies should take stronger action on the issue.

Digital overload and workplace collaboration

This finding is backed up by the 2026 annual benchmark on information overload and digital collaboration. Conducted for the fourth time by the OICN (Observatory for Information Overload and Digital Collaboration) and Mailoop, it surveyed 29,000 professionals from businesses of all sizes and across a variety of sectors.

How can employees regain control?

Among its findings, the report shows that an employee sends 38 emails each week and receives 169. Senior managers are also affected, spending an average of between 6 h 47 and 24 h 15 in video calls and meetings each week. Quoted by AeInfo, Suzy Canivenc, Mailoop’s scientific director and a researcher for the OICN, explains:

“These new tools are simply added to those already in use, without changing working practices, while extending the ‘layer cake’ of tools we have to juggle.”

With this problem now clearly established, a few habits can help people regain control of their attention. For instance, dedicated focus periods can be blocked out in a diary in the same way as a meeting room would be booked. Notifications can also be switched off, while emails can be checked at set times instead of continuously.

However, responsibility cannot rest solely with employees. Businesses also have a part to play by reducing the layers of tools, cutting the number of meetings and the tendency towards micromanagement, and taking the right to disconnect seriously.