This was one of the key insights of the Anatomy of Work Index 2021 conducted by Asana. The survey included more than 13,000 knowledge workers in the United States and across the globe. Among the other key findings:

87% of employees are working late — 455 hours in 2020 compared to 242 hours the previous year.
One in four deadlines are missed each week as a result of unrealistic expectations and unclear processes. U.S. workers miss 36% of their deadlines each week, more than anywhere else in the world.
Teams are spending 30% more time on duplication of work and work deemed a waste of time year-over-year. Nearly 6.5 hours a week are wasted on duplicated work in the United States, higher than everywhere else and up from nearly five hours last year, a 21% increase.
New hires spend 21% of their time on work that's already been completed, nearly twice as much time as their more established colleagues.
As the workday extends, three in four employees are struggling to disconnect from work, with 70% experiencing burnout at least once in 2020. Almost nine in 10 U.S workers have experienced burnout in the last year, more than any other region.
Nearly two-thirds experienced imposter syndrome in 2020. Seventy-four% of U.S. workers have experienced it in the past year, with U.S. men (80%) reporting it more frequently than women (69%).
Around the world, the top three barriers to productivity are having too much work to do, having to respond to too many emails and message pings, and having too many meetings and video calls.

"Before COVID-19, there was a rapidly rising business imperative for increased clarity and alignment," said Dustin Moskovitz, CEO of Asana "Clarity is really difficult for teams to achieve even when they're in the office, but it's particularly challenging when working remotely."

Instant Insights /

'Work about work' robs large employers of 63% of productivity

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