One Fourth of Internet Usage at Work is Spent on Personal Tasks; Would You Allow It?

Online advertising provider Burst Media has provided the results of their latest survey today. In it they have found that most respondents indicated that surfing while on the job is often not work related. One-fifth of respondents state that the workplace is the main locale for where they access the Internet.

Pretty interesting results from the survey speak about boredom. Respondents indicate that surfing while on the job is often not work related, with 26.2% of online time at work spent on personal activities. Men spend more online time at work on personal tasks than women (28.0% vs. 24.2%); and the youngest age segment, 18-24 years old, spend 34.4% of online time at work surfing for personal reasons. When asked why they surf the web at work for personal use, respondents most frequently cited the need to stay informed during the day (33.8%). Other reasons were boredom (20.5%), staying in contact with family and friends (18.5%) and convenience (i.e. faster Web connection than home, more accessible computer, convenient time to conduct online services).

Only one-quarter of employees (28.5%) feel guilty about using the Internet on company time, although women are more inclined to feel guilt than men (31.7% vs. 25.6%). Unfortunately the survey doesn't provide information on which sites they are using.

We've written before about Internet usage at work and whether companies will draw back the ability to non-business surf during work hours. If you ran (or run) a large corporation, would you allow your employees to surf and if so, why?

Editor's note: Burst Media handles a small percentage of the advertising on CN.