Employers paying for online time

icklemiss21 · Jan 7, 2008

Not a debate on whether you are allowed to spend time on forums / social networking at work, just a quick count on the costs.

Facebook is said to cost employers billions every year.

So I was wondering how much of our time (in wages) is spent on TCS while at work.

So number of hours spent on TCS times rate for an hour of your time times how ever many days or weeks etc

$3000 for my employer

But in my defense I spend that much of my own time answering questions that coworkers and interns email me at night or work that our office computers can not handle like photoshopping and website updates.

theimp98 · Jan 7, 2008

hmm not that much, i tend to read and type fast.
so unless i get in a really good fight in imo, not much time.

lol as other can tell you, i keep forgetting to log into facebook hehe.

icklemiss21 · Jan 7, 2008

I have been a slacker on facebook too and I have been off work for two weeks!

neetanddave · Jan 7, 2008

Originally Posted by theimp98

lol as other can tell you, i keep forgetting to log into facebook hehe.

Awww, you noticed....

I don't spend as much time here as I do on some other sites. I run a couple forums that take up some time, but I also have things working in the background so I'd just be sitting there anyway.

Plus, looking at news isn't so bad. At least I'm not streaming radio like some people at work...

goldenkitty45 · Jan 7, 2008

I am only online at work during my lunchtime which is not government paid time.

swampwitch · Jan 7, 2008

Some people might find this interesting; from Ric, the Administrator at Mac-Help:

There is a lot of naivety when it comes to privacy on the Internet...

Most people who work in Offices have no idea that the IT department (by request of the big bosses !) can and do routinely read every incoming and outgoing email.

They can also tell you what computer has visited what website at any given time...

I am always amazed when going into companies on how many people think that because their 'boss' can't see them using myspace or flickr etc then they think they are getting away with it...till the annual review comes round.

Everything is logged...

The link: http://www.mac-help.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3357

I have never surfed at work on my employer's time; not only is it wrong but I would be looking for another job if I were being paid and had that kind of time on my hands.

sharky · Jan 7, 2008

I work from home so I am on my time

white cat lover · Jan 7, 2008

I work from home sometimes, so yeah....and I'm not paid for that...so

to my employer(my dad)!

Otherwise, retail....no internet access.

rubsluts'mommy · Jan 7, 2008

same here for retail. I have one retail job and one library job. At the store, I don't go near computers. We don't really have any, so it doesn't bug me. Heck, even our registers aren't computerized (no scanners or anything). Our phone lines are ancient anyway.

As for my library job. I am a page, i.e. I shelve books. the only times I'm near a computer are in the morning when I'm checking in the morning book drop. I'll get the book drops, clean up, then sit down to check my work email account, and then check in books. I have opened up IE roughly three times in the nearly a year I've worked there, and that was only to get directions to someplace i needed to get to after work.

I have computers and cable modem at home... I don't need to access at work, unless it's an emergency (such as needing directions, etc).

Amanda

catlover19 · Jan 7, 2008

I don't have internet to go on at work. I work retail so the only computers I am near are the cash registers.

lunasmom · Jan 7, 2008

Originally Posted by SwampWitch

Some people might find this interesting; from Ric, the Administrator at Mac-Help:

There is a lot of naivety when it comes to privacy on the Internet...

Most people who work in Offices have no idea that the IT department (by request of the big bosses !) can and do routinely read every incoming and outgoing email.

They can also tell you what computer has visited what website at any given time...

I am always amazed when going into companies on how many people think that because their 'boss' can't see them using myspace or flickr etc then they think they are getting away with it...till the annual review comes round.

Everything is logged...

The link: http://www.mac-help.com/forums/showthread.php?t=3357

That's VERY true! I use to laugh behind a coworker's back at another job because whenever she went online, she would shrink her browser window to 2x2 inches.

IMO if you're going to surf at work, be proud of it! The boss look at the reports and if he thinks the total number of hours spent goofing off is enough to fire you, he will.

Since I'm no longer "in" IT, I don't surf as much...I keep it mainly to my lunch time and what I call my "smoke breaks" (if the girl behind me can go outside 3 times a day for smoke AND have a lunch, then so can I). However I don't come onto TCS anymore during the daytime...we're limited to what we can browse.

emrldsky · Jan 7, 2008

My husband works for the University's networking group (the handful of people who manage ALL network devices on the campus) and I know for certain they do not monitor actual content. They only do if there's a subpoena to do so.

Do I spend some time online (other than instant messenger and work-related tasks) at work? Yes, but not much (maybe 20 minutes).

Studies have also shown that people who spend their workday in front of the computer are more productive if they take a few minutes, a couple times a day, to do something other than work on their computer. It's healthier than taking cigarette breaks during the day.

icklemiss21 · Jan 7, 2008

Originally Posted by emrldsky

Studies have also shown that people who spend their workday in front of the computer are more productive if they take a few minutes, a couple times a day, to do something other than work on their computer. It's healthier than taking cigarette breaks during the day.

That is what my boss says, he would rather see me surfing the web and looking busy than just sitting there doing nothing, but I have to stay because those are our advertised staffed hours, even if there is nothing to do.

lunasmom · Jan 7, 2008

Originally Posted by icklemiss21

That is what my boss says, he would rather see me surfing the web and looking busy than just sitting there doing nothing, but I have to stay because those are our advertised staffed hours, even if there is nothing to do.

Very true! Plus what happens if you're reading an article from say, CNN that happens to deal with something you work with (i.e. if you're a therapist a new study or your work in a medical office and you read up on the latest dangers of a drug).

Even if you're part of a forum that's work related...that counts work too!

littleraven7726 · Jan 7, 2008

I'm not working currently, so I can internet all I want.

Provided I get the housework done.

I'll be online a lot less after this week. I start classes, so I'm sure I'll be busy with homework.

hopehacker · Jan 7, 2008

I don't get on the Internet at all at work. My boss set up the computers in my office so you can't get on the Internet. However, I DO watch DVD's at work. I work alone, and I work the Graveyard Shift, and I watch those in between calls, which are fairly sparce from about midnight until 4am. It keeps me from falling asleep.

missymotus · Jan 7, 2008

I have internet access on my work computer but i only use it for work. I don't have time to be 'playing' on the computer during work - I do plenty of overtime as it is

greenvillegal · Jan 8, 2008

I do a lot of surfing for work purposes too. But, my boss actually told me that he doesn't mind if I do personal stuff at work. Basically as long as we are pulling in new sales and I am getting all of my work done he is ok with me surfing sometimes. Unfortunately I have been really bored lately so I've been surfing a lot more. I would rather use my time doing work and earning money, but I guess that's why a new job is in my near future.

I just found out that I did not get paid for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or New Year's Day... yuck! Granted I am an hourly employee vs. salaried, but this is my full time career so it really bit. If I had known in advance I would have tried to put in the extra hours. But we got paid for Thanksgiving, so none of us had no way of knowing that it was going to turn out this way...

...so maybe I feel more justified to surf sometimes. My email is always open.

calico2222 · Jan 8, 2008

Originally Posted by greenvillegal

I do a lot of surfing for work purposes too. But, my boss actually told me that he doesn't mind if I do personal stuff at work. Basically as long as we are pulling in new sales and I am getting all of my work done he is ok with me surfing sometimes. Unfortunately I have been really bored lately so I've been surfing a lot more. I would rather use my time doing work and earning money, but I guess that's why a new job is in my near future.

I just found out that I did not get paid for Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, or New Year's Day... yuck! Granted I am an hourly employee vs. salaried, but this is my full time career so it really bit. If I had known in advance I would have tried to put in the extra hours. But we got paid for Thanksgiving, so none of us had no way of knowing that it was going to turn out this way...

...so maybe I feel more justified to surf sometimes. My email is always open.

That's terrible! How do they justify paying you for Thanksgiving, but not for the other holidays? I could understand Christmas Eve, since it's not an offical holiday but Christmas Day and New Year's Day?? That's just stupid!

I'm probably lucky I can't access the internet at work. I can only get on our companies website and any related website, but not the entire internet. Now, the supervisors can, and apparently their main job is to give play by play commentary of any sports event that is going on at the moment.

On slow days though, I play a lot of solitaire. woohoo.

natalie_ca · Jan 8, 2008

I believe when you go to work you are there to work. I've never been one to use company time for personal business. So the answer for my percentage is "None"

Back when I worked in an office if I had to make personal calls I did it on my breaks or lunch or stayed a few minutes after work if I knew I couldn't get home before the place closed. And I never used the internet to surf or post on discussion boards.

I've kept that policy as a nurse too. I don't have access to computers with internet at work, but so far as personal phone calls go I don't take or make them at work. I can count on one hand how many personal calls I've taken in the 10 years I've worked at the hospital.

Employers paying for online time

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