Workday study finds AI time savings eroded by rework and verification

Workday said a global study has found that while artificial intelligence is delivering measurable time savings for employees, many organisations are failing to fully capture the value because a significant share of those gains is absorbed by rework.

The report, Beyond Productivity: Measuring the Real Value of AI, found that 85% of employees save between one and seven hours per week using AI tools. However, nearly 40% of that saved time is lost to fixing and verifying outputs, including correcting errors, rewriting content and double-checking results produced by general-purpose tools, the company said.

“Too many AI tools push the hard questions of trust, accuracy, and repeatability back onto individual users,” said Gerrit Kazmaier, president of product and technology at Workday. He said Workday’s approach is to deliver AI as integrated, human-centred solutions so users are not left stitching systems together or fact-checking every response themselves.

The study found that only 14% of employees consistently achieve clear, positive net outcomes from AI use. While more than 90% of daily AI users believe the technology will help them succeed, 77% said they review AI-generated work as carefully as work produced by humans.

Younger employees were disproportionately affected by rework, with workers aged 25 to 34 accounting for 46% of those experiencing the highest levels of lost time. The report also highlighted a gap between leadership priorities and employee experience. While 66% of leaders cited skills training as a top priority, only 37% of employees facing the most rework said they receive sufficient training.

Organisational structures also appear slow to adapt. In 89% of surveyed organisations, fewer than half of roles have been updated to reflect new AI-enabled capabilities, according to the report.

Workday said companies are more likely to reinvest AI-driven productivity gains into technology, at 39%, than into employee development, at 30%, while 32% simply increase workloads. By contrast, employees reporting positive AI outcomes were more likely to use saved time for higher-value work, at 57%, and to have received increased skills training, at 79%.

The study was conducted by Hanover Research in November 2025 and surveyed 3,200 full-time employees at organisations with more than $100 million in annual revenue who use AI, the company said. The full report and supporting materials are available for download from Workday.

The Recap

• Workday study finds AI time savings often lost to rework.
• Nearly 40% of AI time savings are lost to rework.
• Workday offers the full report and related materials for download.