What, Me Shop Online at Work?

Nearly four out of five (79%) respondents said their Internet usage in the office is strictly for official purposes, according to an Accountemps news release.

However, there will be no shortage of online shopping. Those who did admit to in-office holiday shopping said they anticipate spending nearly three hours each week checking items off their shopping lists while on the clock (a 2.7 hour mean).

“The holidays place demands on people’s time, making it tempting to browse for gifts online while at work,” said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps, in the news release. “But visiting shopping Web sites often is against company policy. Employees should familiarize themselves with their firm[‘s] rules on acceptable Internet use during business hours and use good judgment in how they spend their time.”

The survey results are based on telephone interviews with 539 workers 18 years of age or older and employed in an office environment.