July 25, 2008
Online exclusive
Wasting away the workday
Workers spend an average of 20 percent of shift on non-work activities, survey shows
Admit it, you spend way too much time surfing the Web or socializing at work.
A new survey says workers waste 20 percent of their workday, or 1.7 hours of a 8.5-hour workday.
The amount of wasted time has declined in the three years since Salary.com began conducting this survey, but the compensation consulting firm says companies are still paying people for no direct benefit.
Among more than 2,000 employees surveyed, 63 percent admitted to wasting time at work, according to the survey.
Personal Internet use (34.8 percent), socializing with co-workers (20.3 percent) and conducting personal business (17 percent) rank among the top three activities that cut into work hours.
Marcia Hall, a Severna Park-based author of "Navigating Newbie-ism: 12 Simple Ways to Thrive in Your First Job and Career," says workplace culture can play a part in how much time is wasted and how it's handled by managers.
"Some atmospheres are more laid back and that's their style, and they'll be more flexible. As long as the work is done, they don't care about the hours you put in," says Hall, founder of Reputation Counts, which trains business professionals in how to build their reputations. "Other companies care about the hours you work."
Almost 20 percent of employees say they waste time because they don't have enough work to do. That reason is followed by long hours (13.9 percent), being underpaid (11.8 percent) and lack of challenging work (11.1 percent).
The survey also found that workers between ages 20 and 29 waste more time than their older counterparts: 2.1 hours per day.
Hall attributes the survey's finding partly to the myth among younger workers that "it's fine to surf the Net and make a personal phone call if my work is done for the day."
"They are used to being told what to do, rather than taking the initiative and asking what else they can do," Hall says. "Many of the employers I've interviewed have said things like, 'I don't want to have to tell them what to do.'"
I want to hear from young workers out there.
Send your stories, tips and questions to working@baltsun.com. Please include your first name and your city. On the Job is published Monday at www.baltimoresun.com
 New arena for Baltimore?Complete coverage of 1st Mariner Arena and possible plans to build a new indoor entertainment venue in Baltimore Archived coverage: 2008 MSA results | City Hall, Dixon investigated Md. state police spying | FBI probes Sen. Currie People and places: Police Blotter Crime briefs from Baltimore City and Baltimore County |
Maryland gas watch |
 Find cheaper gasCheck prices at area gas stations by ZIP code and find the lowest rates in the region with our new interactive gas map. > Baltimore-area lowest gas prices > Historical gas price charts |
Popular stories: Maryland News
- Gunman opens fire at intersection, kills 2
- A step back in hopes of a leap forward
- Police investigate suspicious package near City Hall
- Fla. man gets 10 years for driving heroin through Md.
- Dan Rodricks: Quit thinking small, people of Baltimore
Watchdog archive
Is there something in your neighborhood that's not getting fixed? Tell us where the problem is and how long its been there.
 Area farmers' marketsAn interactive map featuring locations, times, photos and other coverage of farmers' markets across the area. |
 | |
My MarylandSubmit photos from around the state and view those from other readers Also see: Charm Cityscapes | |