When do you do most of online reading, shopping, and playing? If you’re like most workers, it’s probably while you’re on the job.
(Photo Credit: MyTudut/Flickr)
Get Back to Work
The Harvard Business Review discusses a paper published by the National Bureau of Economic Research, which concluded that most people who cruise the internet do so not from home, at the expense of their leisure activities, but rather, at work. At first blush, it seems that people are playing on the internet to the possible detriment of their job performance.
Benefits of Breaks
Surfing the internet is one way that workers take breaks. Instead of dashing down the block to run an errand, a worker makes an Amazon purchase, checks personal email, and responds to friends on Facebook.
Some evidence suggests that wise employers allow employees to recharge by surfing the web at work. Those employees are actually more productive.
Warms Chairs Do Not Make Productive Employees
Responsible employees probably already appreciate that keeping a chair warm does not mean doing a good job. If you have to work from 9 to 5, being present does not ensure that you are productive. Better to allow an employee to organize her own time. Put the focus on getting the work done, done well, and turned in on time. Let people take a break, check their email or surf for few minutes, then move on to the next task.
It may seem counterintuitive at first, but letting employees surf the net may actually make them more productive.
Tell Us What You Think
Do you use the internet for personal reasons while at work? We want to hear from you! Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter.
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