Thu Jul 26, 10:06 AM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Americans who feel bored and underpaid do work hard -- at surfing the Internet and catching up on gossip, according to a survey
that found U.S. workers waste about 20 percent of their working day.
An online survey of 2,057 employees by online compensation company Salary.com found about six in every 10 workers admit to wasting time at work with
the average employee wasting 1.7 hours of a typical 8.5 hour working day.
Personal Internet use topped the list as the leading time-wasting activity according to 34 percent of respondents, with 20.3 percent then listing
socializing with co-workers and 17 percent conducting personal business as taking up time.
The reasons why people wasted time were varied with nearly 18 percent of respondents questioned by e-mail in June and July said boredom and not having
enough to do was the main reason.
The second most popular reason for wasting time was having too long hours (13.9 percent), being underpaid (11.8 percent), and a lack of challenging
work (11.1 percent).
"While a certain amount of wasted time is built into company salary structures, our research indicates that companies with a challenged and engaged
workforce can expect more productivity in return," said Bill Coleman, chief compensation officer at Salary.com.
While the amount of time wasted at work seems high, Coleman said the numbers have improved, with the amount of time wasted dropping 19 percent since
Salary.com conducted its first annual survey on slacking at work in 2005. Then workers reported wasting 2.09 hours of their working day.
"I think (the decline) is really a result of the economy and that there's more business, more work available and less time to sit around wondering
what you are going to do with your day," Coleman told Reuters.upyerbum - 7-27-2007 at 11:26 AM
Actually, I can't waste time at work, too much to do. I take an occasional 5 minutes to see what the Thorpsters are on about, but that's it.JawnDiablo - 7-27-2007 at 11:36 AM
there are days where I waste most of the time I am there, and then again there are also days where i dont even get to stop for a cup of coffee or
lunch. its either feast of phamonXHonusWagnerX - 7-27-2007 at 12:00 PM
I waste at least 5-6 hours a day on average.... its pretty sad!defstarsteve - 7-27-2007 at 01:31 PM
all time spent at work is a waste....
no for a real answer....
since I work from home and set my own goals and deadlines...
as little or as much as I want but proabably around 2-3 of my 16 hour work dayclevohardcore - 7-27-2007 at 04:20 PM
Every hour at work is a waste. However I bust my ass every hour.Six66Mike - 7-27-2007 at 08:43 PM
I have no idea what my total time of 8 hours is spent wasted, but every chance I get I'm browsing or posting somewhere. I take a call and if I'm not
deep into troubleshooting, I'm browsing forums during the call and between calls also.
Now that I'm mentoring and listening to noobs take calls, even more time spent not doing work. Yet somehow I still manage to get it all done.Dave - 7-27-2007 at 10:48 PM
i either have nothing to do or tons.
thats the kitchen.XnMeX - 7-29-2007 at 10:25 AM
We have net monitoring at work so I can't browse the net. They also have tallies of the work we do so if I flake off, they will know. Talk about big
brother! I can see why companies do it though.XnMeX - 7-29-2007 at 10:27 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by XHonusWagnerX
I waste at least 5-6 hours a day on average.... its pretty sad!
I want your job.RoughBrother - 9-7-2007 at 03:31 PM
I would go nuts if I didn't have nothing to do at work. Today I worked for 9 hours and had two about 15 minutes breaks in that time. I worked like a
mule and when I finally got home I was just exhausted. It's silly but atleast I get paid.DaveMoral - 9-7-2007 at 06:56 PM
Hmm, not much. Maybe an hour tops. If that. That's manual labor for ya...BDx13 - 9-7-2007 at 07:02 PM
how's work been going dave? picking up at all?hardtone - 9-7-2007 at 07:05 PM
About an hour collectively during a 9 hour day, but I usually eat my lunch at my desk and work through it?
