Is it ok to shop online at work – Photo: picture quotes.com
As Black Friday and Cyber Monday are fast approaching, I was writing earlier about the significant dip in work productivity around the holidays. And frankly, much of this drop in productivity can be safely attributed to nothing less than…ahem, shopping online! With the limited time on our hands and the seemingly unlimited online sales and discounts (did you check out my 10 favorite Veterans’ Day sales by the way), spending the money we’re making while at work often seems to be OK…
A recent article from the Daily Mail Online revealed workers spend nine days a year shopping online! And while with all the technology around, we could have guessed online shopping is on the rise, a survey reveals companies are not exactly buying all this commercial surfing online. 51% of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) interviewed reveal their companies are blocking access to online shopping, while 30% admit to monitoring employees’ online behavior. So is shopping online while at work really OK?
My $0.05: KNOW YOUR OFFICE! Learning your company’s rules should be your first step when considering shopping online. Most companies have more or less clear online browsing policies. However, if your company’s policy is somewhat vague, hold off and shop on your personal time. If you’re going to surf online while at work, limit it to lunch breaks, and please log off any account you may have logged into to protect the security of your information. Doesn’t sound fun? Nope, but missing your paycheck because of the latest holiday sales would be much less fun as well…Shop safely (and at your own risk)!
Any other recommendations for shopping online while at work?
The Corporate Sis.
