A quarter of workers who spend a lot of time in work meetings feel less productive and focused. Researchers have called their feelings a “meeting hangover.” The Harvard Business Review, a management magazine, told about the impact of work meetings on employees.

As it turned out, the magazine published a 52-page study titled The State of Work Innovation. Among the results is the impact of long work meetings on productivity.

The researchers wrote that too many work meetings affect people, and that the effect lasts for several hours after the meeting ends. Some felt it until the end of the workday, they pointed out.

What problems arise from too long work meetings?

negative consequences, such as reduced engagement and reduced productivity: 28 percent;

ninety percent occasionally feel “hangover” from work meetings;

“hangover” negatively affects the work process or productivity: more than 50 percent;

forty-seven percent feel less engaged at work;

forty-seven percent experience poor relationships with colleagues, feeling alienated and wanting to be alone: 47 percent;

sixty-three percent tell colleagues about bad impressions they got from work meetings. Thirty-six percent do it occasionally, and 27 percent—often. These conversations spread a negative impact among employees and increase “hangover.”

Researchers have published an example of a work schedule that causes stress in people. In addition, they found out what people don’t like and what leads to problems.

Untimeliness of topics: 59 percent,

lack of a clear agenda or purpose: 59 percent,

poor management of time: 53 percent,

lack of results: 48 percent,

uneven or low engagement: 39 and 38 percent respectively,

ineffective meeting management: 30 percent.

The researchers presented also a list of strategies for reducing the negative consequences of work meetings:

encourage people to express themselves more and to respond to ideas,

reduce the number of participants to only the necessary members of the staff. Write a meeting plan and turn it into an action plan,

do not keep people in work meetings longer than necessary. Follow up to ensure that the results of the work meeting are implemented.