Context Switching Cost Estimator
Put a dollar value on interruptions. Enter how many times you switch tasks per day, the minutes lost each switch, your fully loaded hourly rate, and working days per week to see the time and salary impact.
Estimates assume consistent switching habits; track actual interruptions to refine inputs.
Examples
- 12 switches, 8 min each, $55/hour, 5 days ⇒ 8.0 h/week lost | $440.00/week | $22,880.00/year
- 6 switches, 5 min each, $80/hour, 4 days ⇒ 2.0 h/week lost | $160.00/week | $8,320.00/year
FAQ
What counts as a task switch?
Any interruption that requires you to refocus—responding to chat pings, context changes, or meeting pivots.
How should I value the hourly cost?
Use fully loaded cost including salary, benefits, and overhead to quantify true business impact.
Can this help justify focus time policies?
Yes. Present the weekly or annual cost to stakeholders to support no-meeting blocks or batching communication.
Additional Information
- Lost hours scale linearly with switches and minutes per switch.
- Reduce context switching by batching similar work or scheduling communication windows.
- Annual cost multiplies weekly impact by 52 working weeks.