But checking Sitemeter yesterday, I found this:
Employees spend between one and three hours a day surfing the Web on personal business at work, depending on the study reviewed. Since most studies depend on employee self-reported data, this productivity loss, combined with the concerns employers have for "where" their employees are surfing the Web at work, causes more employers to monitor employee use of the Internet.
Now, I have to admit, I'm not completely sure how the Sitemeter counter works. I'm pretty sure that if someone leaves the blog on the computer while he goes to lunch, it could rack up an hour. Or it could just be an open window while he does other things. But not many people spend almost two hours here. The average is usually under a minute.
It's also possible this was all work related since much of this was looking up posts about ethics and corruption. Possible.
And an Australian study at WebProNews says surfing at work makes employees more productive:
Dr. Brent Coker, from the Department of Management and Marketing, says that workers who engage in "Workplace Internet Leisure Browsing" (WILB) are more productive than those who don't.
Increase Productivity
"People who do surf the Internet for fun at work - within a reasonable limit of less than 20% of their total time in the office - are more productive by about 9% than those who don't," he says.
"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 days work, and as a result, increased productivity," said Coker.
Look, I'd rather know who is coming here, but if this wasn't legit work you were doing, I think you ought to look into some software that allows you to surf at work without your employer checking on your surfing habits. The State of Alaska might not put too much faith in that Australian report saying you are more productive because you are surfing.
Note: I did pass this by two people, both of whom were uncomfortable with me posting this. Is this a violation of privacy? No. I've got Sitemeter set up so that anyone can look at the information. And I've said that. I did that to be transparent. I also think people should be aware of the kind of tracks they leave when they surf the internet.
I think public employees should be working in the office. (The report above is not just about public employees.) I don't think there are enough employees to do all the work that is needed done. If they aren't assigned enough work to keep them busy, they should be creating projects to make the public's lives easier or make their agencies more effective and efficient. I recognize that sometimes their supervision isn't conducive to proactivity, but that's part of the challenge. Minimally, they can be studying how to be more productive in their down time. (And it could be argued that this person's readings on ethics here was very work related.) In deference to my advisers on this, I've smudged some of the information in the sitemeter data. If people want to comment on this but not publicly, they can email me.
I know it took me...2 days...to read your most excellent report on The Lazarus Project!
ReplyDeleteWell, employees should be checked more seriously, however I would given an our when they could relax/check net freely per day.
ReplyDeleteHah, I work for the state and I totally saw this at work. If you don't want me to surf at work, call up your legislator and ask them to pay Juneau employees enough so they have something left over after grocieries, rent, and bills. Or at least more than an entry level position at a local big box store. Maybe then the state could actually fill a few of their perpetual vacancies with workers who are less lazy than myself.
ReplyDeleteAnon 1:03 - glad you like the Lazarus Project review.
ReplyDeleteRopi - I agree some leeway is reasonable, but people are supposed to be working. The one clear way to get into trouble in the US is to surf kid porn. Not only will you likely lose your job, but you would probably go to prison as well.
Anon11:02 - Let me see if I understood what you were saying. You work for the state because you are lazy. If they want more diligent workers they should pay more. I don't know what position you have, but I'm all for well paid public employees. But only if they are also well supervised. Otherwise, it seems you'd take your pay increase and still not work much. Let me know if I misunderstood what you said.