The old 9-to-5 grind of strictly separating work and personal life into fixed blocks of time is a thing of the past for many employees. As workplace dynamics continue to evolve, professionals are increasingly comfortable weaving everyday responsibilities – like running errands, scheduling appointments, or answering private messages – directly into their workdays while continuing to meet their professional obligations.

A new LiveCareer UK survey of 1,500 employed adults explores this cultural shift. The Modern Workday Report 2026 reveals that stepping away for personal matters is no longer a corporate taboo, but a completely accepted reality of the modern workweek. 

The study highlights a new take on focus and performance, showing that UK workers are particularly comfortable with this flexibility. More than three in four British employees (76%) handle personal tasks during working hours at least a few times a week – including 48% who do so every single day, compared to just 27% of their European peers. Furthermore, an overwhelming 86% of UK workers say these short personal breaks actively help their productivity, proving that today’s employees can successfully manage their personal lives without sacrificing their professional goals. 

Key Findings

  • Personal tasks are a regular part of the workweek: 76% handle personal matters during working hours at least a few times a week, including 48% who do so every day.
  • Most believe short breaks support productivity: 86% say short personal breaks help their productivity, compared with just 3% who say they hurt it.
  • Most report spending no more than one hour: 71% spend one hour or less per workday on personal activities.
  • Household chores are the most common personal activity: 54% handle household chores during working hours, followed by personal errands (51%) and social media scrolling (50%).

Personal Tasks Are Now Part of the Workday

The survey found that stepping away from work to handle personal matters has become a regular, accepted part of the modern workday. When asked how frequently they handle personal tasks during working hours:

  • 48% said every day
  • 28% said a few times a week
  • 13% said a few times a month
  • 6% said rarely
  • 5% said never

In total, 76% of employees report handling personal responsibilities on company time at least weekly.

What this means: Blurring work and personal time has become standard practice for the majority of the surveyed professionals. Traditional work schedules are a thing of the past, with more than 3 in 4 employees tackling personal matters during their contracted hours.

Short Breaks Boost Productivity, Not Distract

Contrary to the belief that personal tasks detract from work performance, employees overwhelmingly view these moments as beneficial resets. When asked how short personal breaks impact their productivity:

  • 86% said they improve productivity
  • 11% said they have no impact
  • 3% said they hurt productivity

Overall, 97% believe these activities either help their productivity or have no meaningful effect. Because the results reflect employees’ own assessments, they measure perceived rather than independently observed productivity.

What this means: Rather than viewing non-work activities as a distraction that takes away from their performance, workers see them as a helpful tool for maintaining focus. Brief moments away from professional duties serve as an effective reset, allowing employees to return to their tasks with renewed energy. 

Most Spend One Hour or Less on Personal Activities

Although personal activities are common, most respondents report limiting the amount of time they spend on them. During a typical workday:

  • 14% spend less than 30 minutes
  • 57% spend between 30 minutes and one hour
  • 19% spend more than one hour but no more than two hours
  • 6% spend more than two hours
  • 4% spend no time on non-work activities

In total, 71% spend up to one hour on personal activities during a typical workday. Six percent report spending more than two hours.

What this means: Personal tasks are common but don’t dominate the schedule. The majority of surveyed employees cap their non-work activities at under an hour, showing that these breaks are brief additions to the workday rather than major disruptions.

UK vs Europe

Here is how UK and European workers compare:

  • More frequent breaks: Nearly half of UK workers (48%) handle personal tasks every single day, compared to just 27% of European employees.
  • Chores instead of chats: The most common personal task in the UK is household chores (54%), pushing most Brits (57%) to spend between 30 and 60 minutes a day on non-work activities. In contrast, Europeans keep it shorter – 31% spend less than 30 minutes, and their top activity is personal messaging (43%).
  • Higher confidence in productivity: Despite spending more time on daily life admin, UK employees are more confident that this flexibility pays off. 86% of Brits believe these breaks boost their productivity, compared to 72% in mainland Europe.

What this means: Compared to their peers in mainland Europe (Germany, Spain, France, and Italy), UK workers are more likely to mix personal tasks into their workday. They take breaks more often and spend slightly more time on them – yet remain convinced it makes them better at their jobs.

The New Shape of the Workday

The results reflect a broader shift in how employees define productivity. As hybrid and flexible work become more common, workers appear increasingly comfortable weaving personal responsibilities into the workday rather than waiting until after hours.

For employers, the findings suggest that occasional personal breaks are no longer viewed by employees as time lost but as part of a more sustainable approach to managing work and life throughout the day.

Methodology

LiveCareer UK commissioned Pollfish to survey 1,500 employed adults in June 2026. The study comprised 500 respondents from the United Kingdom and 1,000 respondents across mainland Europe, including Germany, Spain, France, and Italy (250 respondents from each). Participants answered a combination of single-selection and multi-select questions about their daily work habits, personal activities during working hours, time spent on non-work activities, and the perceived effect of short personal breaks on productivity.