America at Work

“Americans may spend a lot of time at work, but that doesn't mean they're actually working - at least according to results of a new online survey by America Online and Salary.com. It reveals that, on average, employees waste more than two hours a day on activities unrelated to their jobs. (And that doesn't include lunch.) Altogether, the research indicates that this lack of production sets employers back as much as $759 billion a year in salary costs. The biggest sinkhole: the Internet. The leading ways that Americans waste time in the workplace, and the percentage of survey respondents citing each:”

1. Surfing Internet for personal use 44.7%
2. Socializing with co-workers 23.4%
3. Conducting personal business 6.8%
4. Daydreaming 3.9%
5. Running errands off premises 3.1%
6. Making personal phone calls 2.3%
7. Applying for other employment 1.3%
8. Planning personal events 1.0%
9. Arriving late, leaving early 1.0%
10. Other 12.5%

Obviously written by a “bean counter”. (BC) See how the word "waste" is emphasized and it's also obvious that they would like lunch to be productive as well.

I went through this same conversation many times with the BC’s and they would cite facts and figures about how much time was being wasted by employees in all of the above activities. Yet these same employees, the ones supposedly wasting company resources, were given high marks on their yearly reviews and made bonus money for a job well done. How was it possible? It seems so obvious to me…if they do their job well, leave them alone. If they aren’t doing their job, let them go. After all, if you’re the boss, you have already defined what you expect of them. Haven't you? It should be cut and dried.

My question to the BC was always the same; do you really care what they do with every minute of the day when they are obviously a tremendous asset to our business? If they do all that is required and more, encourage others to do the same thing! What’s the problem with an always late daydreaming internet surfer that brings a million dollars to the bottom line?

I remember visiting a new manager that was intent on stamping out conversations that took place in the corridors; people actually gathering and conversing with one another instead of being hunched over a set of plans and spec’s. He took the life right out of that office and it was never again successful…but it sure was quiet.

When you crack down on the 10 items listed above; item #7 rises right up to the top.