The typical worker now spends an hour a day carrying out non work-related tasks at their desk. Researchers found online banking, replying to personal emails, searching for holidays and even shopping or browsing for new clothes on the internet account for the majority of the 60 minutes spent on personal admin each day.
It also emerged that only 88% of the day is actually spent working, with almost an hour of each day spent on personal tasks.
Andy Oldham, Managing Director at cashback site Quidco, which commissioned the research, said: “Everyone gets distracted at work, and it seems many workers are spending a large chunk of their working hours concentrating on personal jobs instead. And with good internet access on our mobile phones now, shopping and surfing the internet for personal reasons are no longer reserved only for those who work in front of a computer.
“It’s so easy to spend on the internet now, with pretty much everything you need available online, meaning that a huge amount of people literally splash the cash as they earn it.”
Online shopping and banking during work hours will also see workers spend an average of £41.01 from their desks each week – a total of £3,813.93 every year.
The study of 2000 workers found that an average of seven personal tasks are carried out during work hours every day – a total of 35 each week. And an average of 58 minutes dedicated to non-work activities every day means that more than half a day of each working week is spent on anything other than the job they are paid to do.
Online banking is the most common personal task Brits carry out at work, with more than a third admitting they regularly check their bank account from their desk. Checking the weather forecast for the days ahead came second, followed by replying to personal emails and reading news websites.
Almost one in four have also spent their work hours researching holidays and shopping around for the best deal. Paying bills, browsing and buying new clothes, looking at social networking sites and even calling friends and family completed the top 10.
But while 38% of workers said they tend to do their own personal jobs during a quiet spell at work, a quarter say it is usually something that can only be done between 9am and 5pm. Another 22% say they simply don’t have time to do it in the evenings, while 20% admit it is usually just because they are bored.
More than one in 10 even say that as their colleagues do it, they think it’s only fair that they get to do the same. But almost a fifth of workers have missed a deadline or not got their work done at all because they were too busy doing their own personal tasks.
And three in 10 workers even admitted they’ve had days where they have spent more time on their own errands than they have on their work-related jobs. 45% of workers claimed they would be more likely to, or spend longer taking care of their own tasks during work hours if their boss was out of the office or couldn’t see their screen.
Researchers also found that one in four are more likely to carry out non work-related activities or online shopping during nice weather. Almost half of those put this down to being in a better mood when the sun is out, while 26% need to make some last-minute purchases such as summer clothes or garden toys and furniture to make the most of the nice weather. But 18% admitted it’s because they find it hard to focus on work when the sun is shining outside.
