(in German)

Digitalisation and the intensification of work are presenting employees with new challenges. Many employees are permanently available online. Several emails can arrive per minute, all of which need to be dealt with. Colleagues enter the office, and customers ring up. All of these interruptions divert the employees' attention. How well can any individual deal with them? Can several tasks be dealt with at once, or do employees feel that they are unable to cope?

In its research project "Work interruptions and multitasking in information-intensive occupations", the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) looked into these issues. The project was completed in cooperation with academic staff from the Institute for Psychology, Work- and Organisational Psychology at the University of Leipzig.

The "baua: Guidance" brochure on hand is based on this research. It is aimed at everyone who is regularly affected by work interruptions and multitasking, and provides tips on what to do. The brochure also helps to identify the causes of disruptions and how to prevent them. In this respect, one finding can be assumed in advance: in terms of motivation and a good performance, being able to work without interruption is the best.

This publication replaces the brochure "Please do not disturb" ("Bitte nicht stören").

Please download the complete brochure "Managing work interruptions and multitasking on a day-to-day basis" (in German only).