Over a year ago we posted an article discussing the great Facebook debate. Fast forward to today and the debate still rages on over whether or not employees should have access to their personal social media profiles at work. A simple Google search will find hundreds of articles presenting their opinions on the matter. But there is more than just social media in the vastness of the internet.
We've probably all experienced colleagues who enjoy browsing real estate and online shopping websites during work hours - it's known as Workplace Internet Leisure Browsing (WILB).
In fact, according to Gartner, 44.7% of employees attribute the internet as their biggest distraction at work. This finding is supported by a recent Gallup poll which deduces that the average employee spends over 75 minutes per day using office computers for non-business-related activities. Whilst some of this is due to social media, it can also be attributed to chat programs, online gambling, real estate and online shopping websites.
Business owners can use software like WebGuard to restrict, limit or ban access to any number of websites but it seems in today's era of smartphones and apps employees will ultimately find a way.
I'm simply going to assume (and rightfully so) that all employees have access to the internet throughout the day. And so business owners around the world are trying to solve the internet conundrum; how much is too much?
If an employee spends 75 minutes per day on non-work-related tasks it translates to an annual loss of almost $10 000 (based on the average Australian salary in 2012). Clearly business owners have a case when it comes to limiting workplace internet usage. However, some commentators on the issue argue it helps boost productivity.
Melbourne University's Dr Brent Coker asserts that employees who undertake in WILB are actually more productive - and therefore more valuable - than those who don't.
"People who do surf the internet for fun at work - within a reasonable limit of less than 20 per cent of their total time in the office - are more productive by about nine per cent than those who don't," said Dr Coker.
"Short and unobtrusive breaks, such as a quick surf of the internet, enables the mind to rest itself, leading to a higher total net concentration for a day's work, and as a result, increased productivity," he said.
Evidently there are two sides to every story.
So is it OK, or even beneficial, to browse non-business-related websites during work hours? Does checking out the latest deals on ASOS or that fancy house you're dying to buy actually improve your productivity?
