Texting and internet shopping when we are supposed to be working
Survey of office workers by CV-Library found that workplace procrastination saw the equivalent of 2.8 full working days lost every month, or seven weeks each year. Tony McDonough reports
New research has found that office workers spend up to 21 hours each month engaged in personal activities such as texting and internet shopping when they are meant to be working.
In a survey of white collar workers, independent job site CV-Library found that workplace procrastination saw the equivalent of 2.8 full working days lost every month, or seven weeks each year.
However, the survey found that 62% of workers believed they has right to procrastinate every now and then. The top five distractions at work were:
- Texting or using instant messaging – 42%
- Browsing social media – 25.2%
- Replying to personal emails – 23.1%
- Online shopping – 17.2%
- Making phone calls to friends or family – 10.1%
Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV Library, said: “Smartphones, instant messaging and social media appear to be a problem for UK businesses, with these distractions proving too hard to resist when they’re available at the click of a button.
“What’s more, it’s alarming that this procrastination is costing employers almost three working days every month and that’s simply per employee. Reduced productivity is never ideal for any business, so it’s important that the right steps are taken to tackle this problem before it worsens.
“Managers should consider discouraging phone use during worktimes and instead creating set times such as breaks where employees can look at their phone and do their personal errands.
“On top of this, staff should be kept engaged with regular catch-ups to find out if there’s a bigger problem that’s causing them to procrastinate.”
The survey also sought to reveal why so many professionals procrastinate at work, with one in three (34.1%) explaining that it’s because they’re bored. What’s more, 23.3% claim it’s because they don’t like their job and a further 22% say it’s because they have little to do.