Increasing numbers of employees shop on line at work during the holidays. And many surveys have tried to get a handle on that universe.
The latest attempt is a poll from the staffing company Spherion Corp. Thirty percent of the workers the company surveyed admit to cyber holiday shopping at work, up from 27 percent last year. Almost as many men as women admit to Web shopping at work, 28 percent vs. 32 percent. Not surprising the majority of employees who shop at work fall into the 25 to 29 age range. Next are the 30 to 39 year olds, 33 percent of which shop online at work.
With many workers toiling longer hours, companies allow cyber shopping because “they are giving employees the flexibility to sort of balance their lives,” said Robert Messana, the managing director of Spherion’s Westbury office.
But that privilege carries responsibilities for both companies and their employees, Messana said. Employers should publicize their Internet-use policy to employees.
“You can’t expect something unless you communicate it,” he said.
And employees should bear in mind that Web shopping at work is a privilege not a right.
“It’s not an entitlement,” he said. “So if you are going to do that, you want to do it.... when it doesn’t interfere with your productivity.”
For more on the survey go to:
http://www.spherion.com/pressroom/index.php?s=43&item=483