Bosses can unleash the productivity of their workers by allowing them more scope to use their initiative, create more stimulating work and reduce the burden of unnecessary rules and procedures.

This was according to the latest Employee Outlook Survey from the CIPD, which surveyed over 2,000 UK employees, asking employees about the most common hurdles which were preventing them from being productive.

The most common responses were unnecessary rules and procedures (28%), not having the resources available to do their jobs (28%) and office politics (24%).

On the other hand, when asked what enabled them to be most productive in their jobs, majority of staff cited interesting work (40%).

This was followed by being able to use their own initiative (39%) and being given tasks which complement their skills (25%).

The report highlighted a need for organisations to “consider how they can increase the amount of autonomy employees have at work to use their skills and ideas through more empowering leadership and line management, as well as improved job design”.

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Interestingly, when it came to their top productivity barriers, women were significantly more likely than men to point to an unsupportive manager and men were significantly more likely than women to point to unnecessary rules and procedures.

Sector differences showed that public sector employees were significantly more likely to point to a lack of skills and development, technology, unnecessary rules and procedures and having an unsupportive manager.

On the flip side, employees in the voluntary sector are significantly more likely than employees in other sectors to highlight an unsecure employment status and employees in the voluntary.

In addition, public sectors were significantly more likely than employees in the private sector to highlight lack of empowerment.

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