Here's an argument for three-day weekends: Employees get more done on Tuesdays.

Fifty-seven percent of executives said Tuesday is the most productive day of the week for workers, according to a recent Accountemps survey of 150 senior executives from human resources, finance, and marketing departments. Only 12 percent of those polled said Monday was tops in the work productivity department.

So why does Tuesday outrank Monday when it comes to getting things done? Experts say Monday often is a meeting-filled day, which reduces the amount of time employees have to get actual work done. Tuesday, on the other hand, is viewed as a day to get goals in focus and set the momentum for the rest of the week.

To help boost productivity regardless of the day of the week, Accountemps has a few suggestions for employees:

• Map out your goals at the beginning of the day and prioritize them based on what is most important to the business.
• Sharpen focus by zeroing in on similar tasks for extended periods of time. Switching gears often tends to lessen the amount of work that actually gets done. Maximize time by performing tasks that require similar effort and/or resources.
• Limit the email dings and other distractions. Is it necessary to check your inbox every time a new message arrives? Probably not. Unless your job requires immediate responses, reduce the number of times you check your email every day.
• Break down jobs into smaller tasks. Even the best performers procrastinate, but dividing projects into more manageable, less overwhelming to-do's helps combat the delays that eat into productivity.
• Take periodic breaks to recharge and fight physical and mental fatigue.

Source: Accountemps.

Written by Jenny Cromie, certified human resources specialist (CHRS)