Thank Goodness It's ... Tuesday?

Jan. 15, 2002
You might want to schedule important training or meetings on Tuesdays, which is when employees reach peak performance, according to a recent poll of top executives.

Trying to decide which day to conduct safety training or when you want employees to participate in a workplace safety audit? You might want to check your calendar and pick a Tuesday.

Nearly half (48 percent) of executives surveyed recently said employees hit peak performance on Tuesdays. Not surprisingly, Fridays were viewed as the least productive day of the week.

The survey was developed by Accountemps, the world''s largest temporary staffing service for accounting, finance and bookkeeping professionals. It was conducted by an independent research firm and includes responses from 150 executives with the nation''s 1,000 largest companies.

Executives were asked: "In your opinion, on which day of the week are employees generally most productive?" Some 48 percent said that Tuesdays were the most productive days, followed by Mondays (26 percent), Wednesdays (9 percent), Thursdays (5 percent) and Fridays (1 percent).

"It''s natural for activity levels to fluctuate throughout the course of a week," said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps and author of Motivating Employees For Dummies. "By learning to identify the normal peaks and valleys in staff productivity, managers can provide additional motivation when it is needed most."

Messmer noted, "Mondays can be hectic because there are frequently more meetings scheduled. By Tuesday, employees may be better focused on day-to-day responsibilities."

He added that as the weekend nears, productivity clearly is impacted - a sign that workers may need closer guidance or an extra morale boost to keep projects on track.

by Sandy Smith ([email protected])

About the Author

EHS Today Staff

EHS Today's editorial staff includes:

Dave Blanchard, Editor-in-Chief: During his career Dave has led the editorial management of many of Endeavor Business Media's best-known brands, including IndustryWeekEHS Today, Material Handling & LogisticsLogistics Today, Supply Chain Technology News, and Business Finance. In addition, he serves as senior content director of the annual Safety Leadership Conference. With over 30 years of B2B media experience, Dave literally wrote the book on supply chain management, Supply Chain Management Best Practices (John Wiley & Sons, 2021), which has been translated into several languages and is currently in its third edition. He is a frequent speaker and moderator at major trade shows and conferences, and has won numerous awards for writing and editing. He is a voting member of the jury of the Logistics Hall of Fame, and is a graduate of Northern Illinois University.

Adrienne Selko, Senior Editor: In addition to her roles with EHS Today and the Safety Leadership Conference, Adrienne is also a senior editor at IndustryWeek and has written about many topics, with her current focus on workforce development strategies. She is also a senior editor at Material Handling & Logistics. Previously she was in corporate communications at a medical manufacturing company as well as a large regional bank. She is the author of Do I Have to Wear Garlic Around My Neck?, which made the Cleveland Plain Dealer's best sellers list.

Nicole Stempak, Managing Editor:  Nicole Stempak is managing editor of EHS Today and conference content manager of the Safety Leadership Conference.

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