A two-minute phone call can cost close to half an hour in lost concentration. At the same time, many people are interrupted several times every day. New research shows that the consequences extend far beyond productivity, affecting both the quality of the work and employee well-being. Here are the reasons why a growing number of companies are reviewing how they handle incoming calls.
A two-minute phone call can have consequences that extend far beyond the call itself.
Research from the University of California shows that it takes an average of 23 minutes to regain full concentration after an interruption. For workplaces where employees are regularly disturbed by phone calls, questions, or other interruptions, this means that the real cost is often significantly greater than the time the interruption itself takes.
"Many organizations underestimate the impact of everyday interruptions," says Gloria Mark, a professor at the University of California, Irvine, who has researched attention and the work environment for over two decades.
The numbers become especially interesting when put into relation with what today's working life looks like. According to several studies, a knowledge worker can be interrupted between five and ten times during a workday. The cumulative effect is many hours of lost focus every week.
Interruptions lead to increased stress
But it is not only productivity that is affected.
In a notable study, Gloria Mark and her fellow researchers found that employees who resume an interrupted task often work faster than before. At the same time, stress levels, frustration, and mental effort increase.
The researchers describe it as a form of compensatory behavior where the individual tries to ”make up” for lost time, which in turn risks affecting both the work environment and quality.
- When people are interrupted, a chain reaction occurs that affects both performance and well-being, Mark notes in his research.
More difficult for qualified knowledge work
The effects become particularly clear in professions that require analysis, problem-solving, or concentration for longer consecutive periods.
When the brain switches between deeply focused work and service-oriented communication, a mental transition cost arises. This is not just about returning to the task, but also about rebuilding the mental work that was underway before the interruption.
Furthermore, research from Microsoft Research shows that about 40 percent of interrupted tasks are not resumed immediately after the interruption. In practice, this means that tasks are postponed, reprioritized, or in some cases forgotten.
Expectation of interruption affects concentration
However, according to the researchers, it is not only the interruptions themselves that affect the workday.
Many employees describe working in a state of constant readiness. The phone can ring at any time and a new case can appear at any time. That expectation makes it harder to enter a state of deep concentration.
The phenomenon has become increasingly relevant as working life is characterized by constant availability, more communication channels, and increased demands for quick responses.
The result is that many experience a paradox: the workday is full of activity, but the most important tasks still do not get finished
Growing interest in protecting focus
The increasing knowledge of the effects of interruptions has led many organizations to review how availability and concentration can be balanced.
Solutions such as callback functions, digital self-service, and AI-based customer management are increasingly highlighted as ways to reduce unnecessary interruptions without lowering the level of service.
For employers, the issue is increasingly about more than efficiency.
It is about creating the conditions for employees to perform the work they are hired to do – without constantly having to start over.