Office envy takes its toll at work

A GREEN-EYED monster could be devouring productivity in your office.

Research has found that the most creative problem solvers in the workplace are also the most susceptible to envy if they feel colleagues have won extra respect or attention from their boss.

And the more envy increases, the more workers become “ego depleted”, leaving them unable to focus.

University of Cincinnati workplace expert Joel Koopman told the US Academy of Management that the best problem solvers were more sensitive to nuance and spent more time evaluating new information.

“That ability tends to show its dark side when envy comes into play,” he said. Negative feelings went home with the envious and stayed with them into the following day, wasting time and productivity.

Koopman evaluated a group of workers twice a day for 15 days and concluded: “The workers who are valuable for problem-solving, skilled negotiating and finding timely solutions are also the ones who ruminate longer over processing the social injustice and envy they feel.”