Gossipy girls? No, women outdo men when it comes to putting in a hard day at the office Study found women worked for longer and less likely to wander off Men were more easily distracted particularly around women In ten-minute trial, women worked for 4.9 minutes versus men's 4.3 minutes By Daniel Bates In New York It's a suggestion that's likely to ruffle some rather outdated stereotypes about the fairer sex. But when it comes to office environments, women emerge as more hard-working than men, a study has found. Contrary to old cliches about women being gossipy and unable to focus on the job at hand, it found they are more likely to stay at their desks and finish a task than their male colleagues are. Contrary to the cliches, women are not gossipy at work. Instead a study found they work harder and for longer Women were also found to work for longer and were less likely to wander off. Men by contrast got easily distracted, suggesting they did not have their minds on the job. The study on behalf of technology firm 3M observed 274 workers - 53 per cent female and 47 per cent male - across US offices in a range of industries. During a ten-minute trial, women worked for 4.9 minutes versus men's 4.3 minutes. When given the opportunity to walk off, 38 per cent of women did so - compared with 52 per cent of men. Interestingly, the men were also found to work less when women were around. If the researcher and subject were female, the average time was four minutes. If the researcher and subject were both male, it was 3.6. But when the researcher was female and the subject male, the time was 2.8minutes. Easily distracted: The investigation also found men worked less when women were around Relationships writer Jean Hannah Edelstein said: "Perhaps women work harder because we suffer more from "imposter syndrome"; society bombards us with messages that we're not as valuable as our male colleagues, so perhaps we feel we have to be more diligent in order to prove ourselves. This study defies common, incorrect stereotypes that women are easily distracted and inclined to gossip. Some men may feel a sense of entitlement to professional success, as a result of living in a society where men are more valued than women in some workplaces. She added that men might feel they are harder workers because "society tells them that they rule the world."