(WFD Consulting: Boston, Massachusetts) -- WFD Consulting, an expert in work-life, talent management, workload, and overwork, recently released research findings that demonstrate how longer work hours and time spent on low-value work increase burnout and negatively affect employees and productivity.

Workers who participated in WFD's study, report working an average of 52 hours per week and spending more than nine hours each week, almost 20 percent of their work time, on low-value, inefficient work. As a result, two-thirds of employees report feeling physically or emotionally drained at the end of the workday and 30 percent report high levels of stress. Those who work 60 hours a week are more than twice as stressed as those who work 40 hours a week. Those with high stress are 15 percent less engaged in and committed to their organizations, and their intention to leave their companies is almost twice as high.

The top sources of overwork and inefficiencies identified by participants in WFD's research are:

• Lack of adequate staffing to meet work demands—doing more with less

• Information overload—too much e-mail and internal communication, making it difficult to filter and prioritize key information

• Client and customer demands—last-minute urgent requests and commitments

• Poor communication, coordination, and cooperation among different functions

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