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Merrick, NY—Most bosses believe their employees could be more productive, while many employees feel their boss doesn’t have a realistic idea of how much can get done in a day. The reality is likely somewhere in the middle.

Some wasted time is considered to be a cost of doing business. By this estimate from Forbes, 31% of employees waste at least a half-hour a day and another 31% waste at least an hour (based on 2014 data). And that’s on the low end of the scale. There’s probably a computer, smart phone or social media involved. In today’s big world of Facebook, YouTube and email, it’s easy to lose time. Note: while these numbers are indicative of the world at large, jewelry industry numbers and your own may vary.

While many of your people are likely sales associates that sell, there are other tasks they perform. Some of them may have a list to do every day that never gets finished. And it’s especially hard if that employee’s actual work also involves social media. What to do?

Forbes offers some solutions that may give you, an employer, some time back. From this article:  first, be sure your employees know the implications of not working during working hours. It’s easy to be discovered and some time wasting may improve if they know you are checking up on them.

Second, block your computers where possible. Again, this is hard, if not impossible, for employees who work on your social media accounts but keeping an eye out is vital. Third, consider emphasizing work completed rather than hours spent. Ensure your policies are in line with what you expect.

And a few more ideas: ensure that your employees actually take regular breaks. This can help keep their morale in good shape and also give them a breather between tasks.

And one innovative idea from 10 Easy Ways to be More Productive at Work is to create a “five-minute list” of items that literally can be done in five minutes or less. Phone calls. Cleaning showcases. Light online research. Social media updates to Facebook (yes, it can be done). If your employees can keep this handy, they can refer to it easily and quickly when they have a few minutes of time on their hands. It’s especially great for a bit of late-in-the-day productivity.

Image: Forbes