NEW YORK - Americans who feel bored and underpaid do work hard - at surfing the net and catching up on gossip, according to a survey that found US workers waste about 20 per cent of their working day.
An online survey of 2,057 employees by online compensationcompany Salary.com found about six in every 10 workers admit to wasting time at work with the average employee wasting 1.7 hours of a typical 8.5 hour working day.
Personal internet use topped the list as the leading time-wasting activity according to 34 per cent of respondents, with 20.3 per cent then listing socialising with co-workers and 17 per cent conducting personal business as taking up time.
The reasons why people wasted time were varied, with nearly 18 per cent of respondents questioned by email in June and July saying boredom and not having enough to do were the main reasons.
The second most popular reason for wasting time was working too long hours (13.9 per cent).
Being underpaid (11.8 per cent) and lacking challenging work (11.1 per cent) were other common reasons given.
"While a certain amount of wasted time is built into company salary structures, our research indicates that companies with a challenged and engaged workforce can expect more productivity in return," said Bill Coleman, chief compensation officer at Salary.com.
While the amount of time wasted at work seems high, Coleman said the numbers have improved, with the amount of time wasted dropping 19 per cent since Salary.com conducted its first annual survey on slacking at work in 2005.
Then workers reported wasting 2.09 hours of their working day.
"I think [the decline] is really a result of the economy and that there's more business, more work available and less time to sit around wondering what you are going to do with your day," Coleman said.
