#None #productivity #Hubstaff #Focus Time

Hubstaff's Latest Research on Focus Time

In a recent study conducted by Hubstaff, a prominent time-tracking platform, startling data surfaced regarding the state of focus time among workers. The findings reveal that the average worker now manages to secure only 2 to 3 hours of focus time each day. This metric highlights a worrying trend in work environments, where uninterrupted periods for deep work — devoid of meetings, distractions, or the need to switch between tools — are dwindling.

Key Findings from the 2026 Global Benchmarks Report

According to the analysis drawn from over 140,000 workers across 17,000 organizations, several significant revelations emerged:

• - Hybrid teams report the lowest share of uninterrupted work time.
• - Managers and team leaders spend merely 27% of their working hours in focus.
• - The volume of meetings has approximately doubled, making it increasingly challenging for employees to allocate time for essential deep work.
• - On average, workers engage with 18 different applications throughout their workday.
• - While AI adoption is on the rise, the actual time spent utilizing AI tools has not seen a substantial increase.

CEO Jared Brown of Hubstaff stated, "Our data illustrates that teams are not failing in productivity; instead, they are functioning within systems that incessantly disrupt their focus. When a worker's day is fragmented by continuous meetings, constant messaging, and frequent tool-switching, achieving real focus becomes unattainable. If leaders aspire to enhance performance and reap real benefits from their AI investments, they need to prioritize focus time as an essential operational principle rather than merely viewing it as a personal responsibility."

Meeting Volume: A Barrier to Focus

A critical issue identified is that the increased meeting volume is significantly hampering focus time. The data indicates that workers are now attending twice as many meetings per year, with organizations roughly conducting six times more meetings than just two years ago. It is worth noting that a substantial portion of meeting time overlaps with peak hours for deep work, and nearly a third of these meetings occur outside of standard business hours, further complicating employees' ability to concentrate.

The report highlighted that hybrid teams allocate the least amount of time for focused work, with only 31% of their working hours spent in deep focus. In contrast, fully dedicated remote teams enjoy 41% and in-office teams benefit from 45% of their hours in focused work.

Tool Overload: The New Normal

Adding to the challenges presented by excessive meetings, workers face the burden of navigating a multitude of tools that vie for their attention. Currently, research suggests that employees utilize an average of 18 apps daily, with those in sales, marketing, customer success, and administrative roles exceeding 20 apps per day. This fragmentation of attention has not resulted in increased efficiency, indicating that simply offering more tools does not equate to heightened productivity.

The AI Dilemma

As businesses invest heavily in artificial intelligence, the question remains as to how effectively teams are leveraging these tools. Data reveals that while the adoption of AI continues to rise, the percentage of tracked time devoted to AI applications has decreased from 4% to 3% in the last year. This trend suggests that while AI integration is broadening, it is not fundamentally altering how workers allocate their time.

AI usage reveals disparities across roles and industries, with hybrid teams showing a notable increase in AI usage, which surged from approximately 5% to 11% of their working day in 2025. Meanwhile, remote and office-based teams are dedicating only about 1-2% of their time to AI tools.

Strategies for Improvement

Jared Brown emphasized the importance of understanding how teams utilize their time to address focus issues effectively. "Business leaders cannot remedy focus problems without grasping where and how time is spent," he asserted. Employee time-tracking data serves as an essential diagnostic tool for uncovering inefficient workflows and devising strategies to reclaim focus.

Hubstaff offers a comprehensive time-tracking platform designed to convert work hours into actionable insights. By utilizing both desktop and mobile applications, organizations can transparently monitor productivity, automate payments, and gather workforce analytics, thereby enhancing overall operational efficiency.

For further insights into these significant shifts in the workplace, ensure to review the 2026 Global Benchmarks Report, which details a comprehensive overview of how various organizations can streamline their processes while safeguarding their teams' focus. This critical resource is built on anonymized data from numerous organizations across North America, EMEA, APAC, and Latin America, giving a well-rounded perspective on how work time is allocated across different sectors.

Conclusion

As the landscape of work continues to evolve, businesses must recognize the pressing need to prioritize focus time as a pivotal aspect of productivity. By understanding and addressing both meeting overload and tool congestion, organizations can create environments conducive to longer, uninterrupted periods of concentration, ultimately leading to enhanced employee satisfaction and performance.