‘A Flood Of Unprioritized Chaos’ During The Workday

We’re all overburdened with the constant flow of emails, chats and video meetings. Now, new research from Microsoft called “Breaking down the infinite workday” reveals just how overwhelmed we all actually are.

The research, based on trillions of globally aggregated Microsoft 365 data, is fascinating.

The average worker, for instance, receives 117 emails each workday — most are skimmed in less than 60 seconds. Employees are interrupted every two minutes by a meeting, email or text message, or 275 times per day. The average worker receives a staggering 153 Microsoft Teams messages each day. The report notes that employees face a “flood of unprioritized chaos” each workday, leaving little time for focused work.

And get this: 40% of people who are online at 6 a.m. are reviewing email for the day. The workday also stretches well into the evening: The average employee now sends or receives more than 50 messages outside of core business hours. Almost 30% of active workers are checking email as late as 10 p.m.

The report notes that “boundaries are eroding as 1 in 3 employees say the pace of work over the past five years makes it impossible to keep up.”

All is not lost. Microsoft says savvy use of AI can help, suggesting that employees focus on 20% of the work that delivers 80% of the outcomes. The company urges leaders to adopt a “Frontier Firm mindset,” or one that questions how time is spent and how work gets done. It also suggests that “rigid structures” add “unnecessary friction,” and says AI can fill skills gaps quickly.

“AI makes this not only possible but scalable,” the research shows. “By deploying AI and agents to streamline low-value tasks — status meetings, routine reports, admin churn — leaders can reclaim time for what moves the business: deep work, fast decisions, and focused execution.”

Whew!