Discussion on:

A guide to wasting time at work

I'd like to say I'm an over achiever. I'll take categories 1-4, 6, 8 and 9 for about 5.5 hours on an average day. I was done with lunch about 30mins ago and I still don't have my after lunch surfing done yet.

Most web surfing (games, gambling, and porn aside) can be fit into the research category cant they? Especially when in IT

That's my thinking. If you're working in IT it is your job to know everything or at least that's what your boss expects. So I spend a lot of time staying up-to-date on everything that's going on in the tech industry.

In my opinion, work should be about objectives, not so much about fixed work hours (of course workhours count because thats the way they pay you, but i've seen cases when bosses give you work only to keep you busy when there's no real assignment, why wouldn't they allow you to use that time in favor of research and keeping up-to-date/self-learning?).

And we are humans after all!, i think people cant work 8 hours without a 5-10 min break every 2 hours aprox, at least to ease back, legs and eyes .. That makes already 30-40 min per day

I'm also speaking about "8 hours" day.. but, at least in the companies i've worked,thats rarely the case (10-12 hours is the norm)

It's funny how companies think they can solve the waste-time problem by blocking internet, IMs, games, phonecalls, etc, because when the employee wants to, they allways find another smart way to waste time . If your employee is motivated enough and enjoys its work, he will do his best.

Seguia said "...when the employee wants to, they allways find another smart way to waste time."
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IT is a profession that attracts people who enjoy figuring things out, so we are likely to be better at wasting time than others.
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Here in the UK we the "Office, Shops and Railway Premises Act", (equivalent to an Amendment in the States) which guarantees a ten minute break for every hour worked. In some organisations this is taken as a 30 minute break morning and afternoon. In many offices however, this is quietly forgotten, and we are encouraged to have as much coffee as we like at our desks instead.
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When the boss spots you posting to TR, it's always useful to know the law.

Bravo to you guys. "after all we're only human". - It is all to easy for modern man with his twisted fetishising of "Efficiency" to create faceless Soul-Eating Corporations where oppression and antagonism rule. The day I work 7.5 measured, productive hours is the day after I've had my corporate-sponsored Robocop cyber-implant operation. Tip: always take a dump on company time.

I had a teacher in college who told me that in his opinion, anyone in IT should spend at least an hour or two a day reading magazines.

His main reasoning was that by reading these magazines the IT people are staying up to date with the latest technology which ultimately pays dividends back to the employer.

This was pre-Internet days, so I assume that this would also apply to the web in modern times.

When researching solutions to problems, finding answers, options or affirmations on the web, one must keep in mind that it is EVERYTHING you learn during your search that should be considered as one of the more important accomplishment of your day.

I knew that young-uns were unproductive time wasters. Ha to Google for hiring only young people.

I guess the money they save on salary pays for an extra hour time wasting, or maybe if the time wasting is something 'cool' like IM or wikis or mashups or blogs it is OK?

Maybe google's youngsters waste 3-4 hours. On the other hand, they don't mind working 12 hours plus free time...
I wonder if Google minds at all.

The previous post brings up a question of sorts.

If the company demands you work 12 hour days and you are "wasting" 2 hours, doesn't the company still get an additional 2 hours extra out of you??

I wouldn't say they are all young guns, including the great Demi God Vin Cerf

I see Google as a mature company employing all age groups; what's wrong with young people anyway?

http://www.google.com/corporate/execs.html

The people I know who work there average 40 hours a week, and have never felt any pressure to work more than that.

In Googles case, since they provide pool tables, game consoles, etc... Can you really classify it as wasting time?

Is this considered wasting time? Mebbe I should get back to work then lol

Many of us turn up at work despite a hangover, because you can sit at your computer and get paid for feeling miserable. The work you do that morning will be of such low quality that the time is as good as wasted.

I wonder if anybody bothers to survey for this old-fashioned, but still existing, time-waster?

And what age group has the most hangovers?

Is it part of the "Surfing the Internet" category, "Socializing with co-workers, "Conducting Personal Business", "Applying for other jobs", or "Planning personal events"?

It is time spent ducking.

But we love you for it.

I'll send you a new hard hat.

Are you going to customise it? You know..TR logo and the like..
we could all send you our signatures and get them pasted onto it as well..you know..make it a special hard hat..one he could wear Proudly

Avatars.

I have the graphics- don't even need that many- still lots of pink ribbons out there.

Now to find the hat...

....I'd say, all of the above!!!

I like to think that TR is research and personal development.

Oh I may waste the odd minute here and there on TR..but generally I can justify my purpose..I always have a white paper open..if i happen to accidently post in a discussion well...its this dang Dell mouse and keyboard..just has a mind of its own!

Waiste time at work? What are you talking about? Actually, my problem is. They can't keep me busy. If I have work, thats exactly what I do. Work. If I don't have enough work, I just do what ever.

dan

While I was on my placement I kept on being given too long to complete different things, so naturally I had to spend the remainder of my time entertaining myself somehow, and that happened to be by posting on TR!

but then again conversations would not be as lively without you.

Its "research." That's our opinion and we're sticking to it. ; )

Ok, so I don't, but it DID sound good.

It is a hard thing to gage when you don't get set coffee break times like many occupations do, you just do it during the day as time allows.

How many people waste time in the evening by doing research or projects for work after you get home?

I do most of the above to differing amounts of time BUT:

I get into the office between 6:45 AM and 7:15 AM.
I never take the morning or afternoon coffee/butt break.
We have a 45 minute lunch break but TRY and take the full amount when you're in IT!
I leave between 4 PM and 4:15 PM.
I try not to bring work home BUT that's just about impossible in the IT world.
Overtime is a no-no.
I am a multi-tasking addict. I cannot do one thing as I find it VERY uncomfortable. I HAVE to multitask.

So if I check up on the news, play a game or call and set up an appointment while I have a laptop loading software and log scripts running I don't feel too bad.

The web is a lifeline for me when I'm trying to write code, figure out a firewall issue or get an answer to a weird MS Office problem.

Talking to users is important as they develop a personal connection with you and understand when you don???t drop everything when they have an issue (they see you as human and not a machine).

EMD

It is bitterly amusing that most of the local employers have subtly made it a point to tell me that they are not interested in hiring me at 53 ... when the average kid-genius is going to spend upwards of 2 hours a day "playing" at work whilst I spend all 8 hours on the job (I make it a point NOT to surf or do personal business on company time). I guess 35+ years of experience in 8-hour chunks isn't as valuable as 0 years of experience in 6-hour chunks. I wonder if that is why we're about to discover what happens when one country (America) loses it's middle class while another country (China) gains a middle class.

IMHO, I think that your age isn't as much an issue as your cost. I have no idea what you are asking for obviously, but with that much experience, a candidate with 5 years would be much more economical. (of course as I am looking at this myself)

I work with a man who wanted to be in a lower category so that he wouldn't price himself out of contracts. Upper categories mean more money - but few positions.

Of course, it is possible that younger people just get things done faster. It has been written time and time again that youngest generation of working professionals are much better at multi-tasking. Maybe they just run out of things to do...leaving more time for surfing.

Although I'm don't quite have 35 years experience. Being I wear multiple hats, (I am the IT Department) I wouldn't know what to do if I had time to waste.

I watch younger staff move at breathtaking speed. And they move almost as fast when they come back to do it over.

"10 Other ??? 12.5 percent [Bowers??? note: Other? What???s left, dare I ask?] "

Well, if you haven't spent half an hour in a store room with a colleague doing things you wouldn't want your mother to read about, you have been very productive Toni, and professional, but wasted your life!

* 58-77 years old: 0.50 hours per day
* 48-57 years old: 0.68 hours per day
* 38-47 years old: 1.19 hours per day
* 28-37 years old: 1.61 hours per day
* 22-27 years old: 1.95 hours per day
average that and you get 1.186 where does the 2.09 come in?

that in the blogs for the productivity article by John McKee there were comments about the increased hiring of college grads who have fewer family concerns to deal with (hence no need for employer concern), and here it says they are the ones wasting the most time. Employers may not be getting their money's worth from that demographic.

There is much to be said for maturity (age?) and always will be in my opinion. A "seasoned" worker often brings values to a company that inexperienced workers may not. Hard work, integrity, etc. are important factors in the success of any organization.

Perhaps 'updating my Blog" should be separate to general Internet stuff as this is really a mix between Internet activity and socializing.

How do you get an average of 2.09 hrs out of
58-77 years old: 0.50 hours per day
48-57 years old: 0.68 hours per day
38-47 years old: 1.19 hours per day
28-37 years old: 1.61 hours per day
22-27 years old: 1.95 hours per day

Until I read your post I didn't even think about the numbers they gave. If those break out percentages are correct, the average would be 1.19 hours, no?

I'm happy (no, really, I am) to see that my age group (I'm 55) is almost the lowest 'wasters'. I think that speaks highly of our work ethic! Go Boomers! Oops, gotta get back to work.....

How about loud co-workers?

I admit that I waste time just waiting for the guy in next cubicle to finish his loud phone conversation or even worse his chatting with others about what dinner he had last night.

Think if it this way. That's not me wasting company time, that's the company wasting its own time by creating a distracting environment.

I have absolutely no guilt in sitting at my desk waiting for the distraction to go away and not making up the time. I don't think anyone should waste their personal time because of company shortsightedness.

However I do tend to go to the bathroom whenever a group gathers outside my cube doorway to chat. I figure by walking through them they get the idea and then also getting some 'business' done away from the distraction is going above and beyond.

I think there are a few qualifiers for what is considered ???wasting??? time.

Internet surfing can be divided into 3 categories:

Direct productive ??? this is research to answer a specific job question, or fill a job requirement such as ordering materials, scheduling business flights, making reservations, etc. This one is not wasted time.

Indirect productive is browsing the internet doing semi-random searches on useful information that is job-related, but not necessarily applicable or pertinent to the tasks at hand. (Reading of ZDNet articles and blogs by I.T. personnel fall into this category, as does reading all the stuff your company may post on its Intranet.) This isn???t wasted time, but it doesn???t do much to clear your To-Do list. It???s considered an investment, and may or may not pay off later.

Non-productive is all the browsing that isn???t job related. It???s reading on-line tabloids, scheduling personal travel, playing games, etc. This IS a time waster and is depriving your company of your labor as well as using up their resources.

Socializing with workers falls into similar breakdowns as internet surfing.
Although the direct productive category really doesn???t fit under socializing as this sort of meeting is formally scheduled and discusses specific topics that are job related. Definitely not a waste of time, unless the meeting organizer is a complete incompetent, but that???s for a different topic.

Indirect productive socialization are informal gatherings were work and the work environment are discussed. Interestingly enough, this sort of socializing may have the greatest impact on the productivity of the work area as the majority of job knowledge is passed in these gatherings, and this serves to ???grease??? the communications lines between workers.


Non-productive socialization is the discussion of non-work related topics. This is obviously a time waster. However, socialization rarely stays on-topic. People go with the flow of the conversation and it may move from work, to personal, and back several times during the verbal transactions. You almost need a stealth facilitator to guide conversations back to work related stuff, and to terminate the conversation once the work portion has been covered.

Spacing out really isn???t a time waster unless it???s a symptom of boredom due to poorly designed work tasks, or insufficiently challenging work. Most of the time a breif spacing out is a person rebooting their brain to clear their mind for a new task, or conducting a self-brainstorming to solve a task at hand.

Most time wasting, from the company???s perspective, is when an employee engages in personal business while on company time. There???s a problem with this attitude though. Many companies either formally, or informally require employees to participate in company-sponsored activities outside of work (You???re going to be on the company team for that Heart Association walk AREN???T you?). Many companies will take adverse employment action against employees for their conduct outside of work, even though it doesn???t affect their performance or availability to work (firing a person for having a single DUI, or being arrested for soliciting a prostitute.) The point is that when companies seek to have an omnipresence in their employee???s lives, then they cease to have a right to dictate that employees NOT engage in personal business while at work. This is even more apropo to employees who are always on-call.

This isn't limited to IT jobs. At least the header doesn't say so. I suppose reading and surfing is mostly research and learning.