Quick Answer: Bad business writing costs U.S. organizations an estimated $396 billion annually in lost productivity. Poor clarity, organization, and precision slow readers, delay decisions, reduce employee engagement, and undermine results. Improving how your team writes directly improves efficiency, output quality, and business performance.
“America is spending 6 percent of total wages on time wasted attempting to get meaning out of poorly written material. Every company, every manager, every professional pays this tax, which consumes $396 billion of our national income.” How can business writing have such a dramatic impact? Consider the following four ways.
Why Poor Business Writing Wastes Employee Time and Reduces Workplace Productivity
Specifically, Bernoff’s research found that 81% of people who do a lot of reading for their work (25.5 hours per week on average) agree that poorly written material wastes a lot of their time.
The writing may be “too long, poorly organized, unclear, filled with jargon, and imprecise,” he says. That forces readers to slow down to work through what the author is really trying to say. In other words, bad writing takes valuable time to decode. But just imagine if your organization could reclaim even just 2% of that lost time. For an enterprise with 1,000 employees, your workers would suddenly have over 500 hours free each week to devote to more important activities.
How Vague Business Writing Triggers Parkinson’s Law and Slows Team Performance
Imprecise and generic writing (e.g., “Complete the project on time and under budget”) can undercut results. By contrast, clear and detailed language (“Complete the project in six months with a $100,000 budget”) can facilitate accomplishments. Research from MIT found that specific deadlines caused students to work faster.
The same principle applies to the business world as well. Scientific American reported on a study conducted by Kiva, which crowd-funds interest-free small business loans: application completion rates shot up by 24% when Kiva imposed a firm deadline. Open-ended deadlines can cause people to work slower and may thus trigger Parkinson’s law, which states that “work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” Copyright 2017. All rights reserved.
How Unclear Writing Derails Business Proposals, Reports, and High-Stakes Documents
The University of Massachusetts at Donahue did a study of the economics of hosting the 2024 Olympics in Boston. They used passive voice throughout their report, which obscured the answers to important questions, e.g., who would be responsible for what. The resulting uncertainties – which were supposed to be answered by this research – caused Boston to reject the Olympic bid.
Now imagine your organization had similarly submitted an important sales bid or proposal, only to see it tank because its author had filled the document with passive voice statements that left the prospect with too many questions to have confidence in you. Next, imagine you had written a crystal-clear, confidence-inspiring document – and it was your competitor struggling with its writing quality. Good writing by itself can be a differentiator.
How Poor Written Communication Damages Employee Engagement and Job Satisfaction
Research shows that engaged, satisfied employees are productive workers. Per the DecisionWise 2016 State of Employee Engagement Report, employee engagement increases employee performance, employee retention, employee satisfaction, and even customer satisfaction.
Unfortunately, poor communication is one of the major factors that can torpedo employee engagement. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, half of employees (48%) cite communication as key to job satisfaction. Business writing, for better or worse, plays a role here. Poor writing skills in business foster confusion, frustration, and uncertainty.
The Business Case for Better Writing: How Improving Communication Drives Results
Bad writing creates an invisible source of “friction” that slows workers, diminishes output, and frustrates customers. Research has revealed time and time again the importance of effective writing skills on business performance, even with editing and revising. The good news? Organizations can reclaim all that lost time, money, and engagement by helping their teams to produce better writing.
How Hurley Write Helps Teams Write Better Documents in Less Time
Your employees can learn strategies to write better documents in less time. Hurley Write has been designing and teaching strategic writing courses for over 25 years. Whether your team writes business, technical, or scientific documents, and whether you’re interested in instructor-led or online courses or webinars, we can develop a course that meets your team’s needs. Contact us today: info@hurleywrite.com or 877-249-7483.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does bad writing cost U.S. businesses?
Research by Josh Bernoff, former Senior VP at Forrester Research, estimates that poor business writing costs U.S. organizations $396 billion annually. That figure represents roughly 6% of total wages lost to time spent decoding unclear, disorganized, or imprecise written material across every level of an organization.
How does poor business writing affect employee productivity?
81% of professionals who read frequently for work agree that poorly written material wastes significant time. Writing that is too long, unclear, or jargon-heavy forces readers to slow down and decode meaning. Improving writing clarity across a team of 1,000 employees could free up hundreds of hours each week.
What is the connection between vague writing and Parkinson’s Law?
Vague writing produces open-ended instructions and unclear deadlines, which can cause work to expand to fill available time. Specific, precise language sets clear expectations and drives faster action. Research from MIT and Kiva both support that specificity in written communication directly improves completion rates and team performance.
Can better business writing improve employee engagement?
Yes. According to the Society for Human Resource Management, 48% of employees cite communication as a key driver of job satisfaction. Poor writing creates confusion and frustration that erodes engagement. Clear, purposeful business writing supports alignment, reduces uncertainty, and contributes to a more productive and satisfied workforce.
How can organizations improve business writing skills across their teams?
Targeted professional writing training is the most effective solution. Hurley Write has designed and delivered strategic writing courses for over 25 years, serving teams across industries including pharma, engineering, finance, and technology. Customized workshops, online courses, and communication diagnostics help organizations reduce wasted time and produce clearer, more effective documents.
