By reading this blog, you are joining the huge percentage of office-based workers who read blogs during the workday.
Zoomerang conducted a survey on behalf of Clearswift that found the vast majority of office workers access social media or Web 2.0 sites when they should be working.
87 percent of office workers access Web 2.0 sites each week, with 63 percent accessing the sites one or more times a day;
51 percent of office workers spend one or more hours a week using and accessing Web 2.0 sites when at work;
46 percent of office workers have discussed work-related issues on social media websites;
71 percent of office workers use Web-based email at work for personal reasons; and
50 per cent of office workers believe that employees should be entitled to access Web 2.0 Internet content from their work computer for personal reasons.
For office workers, the most popular types of Web sites or Internet applications to use during work hours are blogs, forums, instant messaging and Web-based e-mail.
News and newspaper Web sites, unfortunately, were not listed in the top time-wasters, though 2003 MORI research suggests office-based employees are visiting those sites during the day.
In a humorous understatement, the Clearswift press release states, “Productivity may also be a problem.”
The release continues, "In fact, according to the survey, nearly 43 percent of office workers in the United States access social media sites and services for personal reasons from their work computer several times each day, with 51 percent spending one or more hours a week on the sites. Thirteen percent spend an average of five or more hours per week on the sites and another five percent aren’t sure exactly much time they are using the sites or services."
I should note Clearswift is a company whose business is based on e-mail and computer security products that "allow organizations to ensure all traffic complies with acceptable usage policies and external regulations." In other words, Clearswift is, clearly, not a Web 2.0-site-visiting-during-worktime-friendly company.
The survey did not specifically delve into how much productivity declines during March Madness.
If you’re reading this blog during worktime, thank you! Feel free to look back at previous posts for any you might have missed. Also check our blogroll (at right).And then, go here.