Small talk costs UK businesses over £156 billion a year

The cost of small talk to businesses is huge, but worth it, a new study finds.

The average UK worker spends 1 hour 45 minutes a day on small talk—equating to a huge £6,409.20 a year compared to the median UK salary. When calculated against the number of full-time workers in the UK, the cost
of small talk to businesses amounts to over £156 billion a year.

The study of 2,000 full-time workers was carried out by
TollFreeForwarding.com, who spoke to employees in both the US and the UK. It found that those in the UK engage in
less small talk on average, with 13 minutes a day less than the US spent chatting. Surprisingly, those in the US are more likely to spend time talking about the weather than those in the UK (11 minutes per day vs 9 minutes).

Despite the high monetary cost, the positive mental effects of small talk are huge, showing that it is worth the cost it has on businesses.

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Almost three-quarters (74%) of workers say small talk makes their workplace more bearable.

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Small talk also has a positive effect on employee motivation (69%) and wellbeing (75%). This reduces the chance of staff burnout or resignations—two things that lead to time off and money spent
rehiring, which cost more to businesses in the long term.

Small talk also helps strengthen connections in the workplace, leading to better teamwork and stronger client relationships. Over 8 in 10 (82%) of those surveyed say small talk helps them improve and maintain relationships with their colleagues, while a further 73% said the same for their relationships with clients.

Bosses considering trying to limit small talk should also be careful, as 4 in 10 workers (41%) said they’d leave their current job if their employer attempted to limit or reduce small talk. This shows how important it is for employers
to create a culture where small talk is encouraged, and acknowledged for the benefits it brings.

Dr Naomi Murphy, D. Clin. Psych, explains why small talk is essential in the workplace:

“Small talk is the glue that keeps colleagues together. It allows us to build relationships and feel more confident in contributing to group discussions. It enables us to see the human being and remind ourselves of the things we
like about our colleagues even when we are feeling irritated by their opposition or criticism of our suggestions, liking our colleagues and having good connections with them keeps us emotionally nourished. When work is just a place we go to get tasks done,
we are much more likely to feel dissatisfied, which will impact on productivity and make it likely we will move on.”

TollFreeForwarding.com has also created a calculator so employers and employees can see how their small talk compares to the UK average. By entering a salary and the average amount of time spent on small talk, you can see exactly
how much money your small talk costs.