Time for a Coffee Break?

SURVEY SAVVY

What’s the least productive time of day for employees? Accountemps put the question to 150 senior executives from the nation’s 1,000 largest companies. Of those surveyed, 33% said employee output was the lowest from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m., while 29% cited noon to 2 p.m. as the most unproductive.

Accountemps Chairman Max Messner, in his book Managing Your Career for Dummies (John Wiley & Sons Inc.), offers a few tips for avoiding that afternoon lull: Tackle difficult tasks earlier in the day when your energy is at a peak, take a short walk outdoors, eat nutritious snacks and take a mental break for a few minutes.