Spain has come out on top in new rankings on workplace productivity across Europe. Research from Ricoh Europe, 92% of Spanish employees say they are productive at work, giving Spain the highest self-reported productivity levels on the continent. At the other end of the table, the UK and Ireland rank lowest, with just 28% of workers feeling well-supported by their workplace technology.
Adam Levine, founder of InnerXLab said, “Spain didn’t get to the top by accident. They’ve embraced biological and cognitive truths most companies ignore. Productivity is about energy, rhythm, and real recovery.”
The findings are based on a survey of 7,000 employees and 1,800 business decision makers across multiple countries, conducted by Opinion Matters for Ricoh Europe. Spain’s reported unproductivity rate sits at just 4%, and its economy grew by 3.2% last year. The UK’s growth was only 0.9%.
Italy and the Netherlands follow Spain in second and third place respectively. France and Germany come in fourth and fifth. In contrast, UK and Irish workers are more than twice as likely as Spanish workers to describe themselves as unproductive, with 9% doing so.
What’s Holding The UK And Ireland Back?
Just over a quarter of workers in the UK and Ireland feel they have the right tools to work effectively with others. This is the lowest across the 6 countries measured. In France and Germany, one in four business leaders blame outdated systems for slowing productivity.
Adam Levine added, “There’s a gaping productivity gap across the continent. And the UK’s been scrambling to solve it with office mandates and outdated management tactics. But if they’d stopped to observe what actually works elsewhere, they’d see it’s not about where people work, it’s how.”
When asked what would help them do their jobs better, 40% of employees across Europe said improved document management software. A further 37% said better communication tools, and 36% called for better automation.
The report put it that digital systems are not keeping up with how people work. Many employees want smoother ways to collaborate, especially across remote or hybrid teams. Without those tools, time is often wasted on manual tasks or miscommunication.
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What Can The UK Learn From Spain?
Performance coach Adam Levine, founder of InnerXLab, believes Spain’s approach to work holds some useful lessons. He brought up how the Spanish working day respects the body’s natural rhythm.
He also mentioned how Spanish offices value straight focus over constant interruptions. “He refers to cutting out “pointless check-ins” and that when workers are responsible for their time, it sets in a flow work state. He advises UK businesses to introduce ‘focus blocks’ with no meetings or notifications.
Connection is another area where Spain seems to be doing things differently.
“Long lunches and real conversations might look like downtime, but they’re fuel for collaboration,” Levine added. “Burnout thrives in isolation. Spain works well because people stay connected.”
Levine also suggested that UK leaders stop fixating so much on visibility and trust their teams more. He said, “Swap time-tracking for outcome-based goals. Let people figure out their own working style. Trust gets better results than surveillance.”
Caroline Bright, Chief Strategy and Commercial Officer of Ricoh Europe, commented, “The productivity gap across Europe should be a wake-up call for business leaders. When Spanish workers are more than twice as likely to be productive as their UK counterparts, we must ask ourselves why. Our research shows that equipping employees with the right technology is essential for unlocking their full potential and driving productivity.
“As workplace dynamics evolve and businesses renew their focus on the office, it’s more important than ever to provide employees with the tools they need to operate and collaborate effectively. As a leader helping to navigate our own strategic transformation, I understand the challenges that businesses face first-hand. But the good news is that the solutions are within reach. Those who act now to modernise their workplace technology will be best positioned to close the productivity gap and empower their teams to perform at their best and thrive in a competitive market.”
