E-Tip 269 - The Cost of "Cyber-Slacking"

These days, it is all too common to stroll by an employee's desk and catch them browsing the Internet -- usually, notably, for personal use rather than business-related research. In fact, the American Management Association (AMA) discovered that 68% of businesses lose money and time on employees who are "cyber-slacking."

Cyber-slacking is the use of work internet access for personal enjoyment while maintaining the appearance of being productive. The trouble with cyber-slacking, unfortunately, is that it comes in a variety of different shapes and sizes. Worse yet, it is typically carried out on software that businesses rely on, such as e-mail clients and web browsers.

The Five Most Common Forms Of Cyber-Slacking Are:

1. E-mail correspondence to personal contacts
2. Web browsing, primarily to news and sports websites
3. Online stock trading
4. Online gambling
5. Chat rooms/instant messengers

How Much Is Cyber-Slacking Costing Your Business?

Of course, not all cyber-slacking starts intentionally. Often enough, employees log online to look up something business-related, but through a series of "wiki moments" find themselves viewing websites that stopped being relevant to work several clicks ago. However, the bottom line is that cyber-slacking is nothing but costly. In a study conducted by surfControl, a web-filtering software maker, it was revealed that if 1,000 employees engage in personal web surfing for only one hour a day it would cost that organization up to $35-million a year.

Combat Cyber-Slacking Effectively.

The most obvious way to combat cyber-slacking is to monitor Internet usage, but this can be tricky. This is why we suggest including Internet usage policies in your employee handbook. These policies should define what sorts of websites are considered inappropriate as well as address excessive Internet usage. Furthermore, the consequences for violating these policies should be outlined clearly. These can range from docked pay to having computer privileges restricted.

If you do choose to monitor employee computer usage, be sure to consult with an attorney in order to avoid any legal risks relating to rights to privacy.

Executive Summary: As powerful a tool as the Internet is, especially for businesses, it is also a vehicle for distraction and procrastination. Everyday software such as e-mail clients and web browsers provide a temptation for employees to catch up on news or read about their favorite sports heroes. In order to effectively combat cyber-slacking, employers should take preventative measures by writing Internet usage policies into their employee handbooks. And instead of monitoring the sites employees visit, employers should evaluate how much time employees spend online to better address concerns about productivity.

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