Chatting with colleagues about non-work related matters, mobile phones and internet services are the biggest workplace distractions, according to Thinkmoney.

Through a survey of 2,000 adults aged over 18, the company found that the worst affected employees find themselves distracted for up to 3 hours every work day. These individuals could be losing up to 60 hours a month or 759 hours a year due to distractions.

Of the people surveyed, the biggest distraction at work was talking to colleagues about a variety of non-work related topics. On the flip-side of this, people conducting loud conversations were named as the biggest annoyance to employees.

The prevalence of smartphones was also listed as a major culprit of workplace distractions, with the majority of respondents admitting to answering personal calls and replying to text messages during work hours.

The biggest distractions in the workplace were:

• talking in the office about non-work matters
• slow internet connection
• mobile phone calls and texts
• online shopping
• pointless or arbitrary meetings
• social media
• emailing non-work individuals or groups
• looking out the window
• offices being too hot or too cold
• uncomfortable chairs.

Ian Williams, Thinkmoney’s spokesperson, said:

“The internet can be a major time drain with so many ways to while away hours. Often, it’s not simply a case of one burst of text messaging or internet surfing, there can be a constant stream of dipping back in and out, so concentration is interrupted throughout the day.

“Chatting to colleagues and having some banter can create a positive and productive workplace where teams work well together. Workers just need to be careful that this doesn’t tip over into becoming an annoyance for others.”