Limit Online Shopping When in the Office

Amy Winter
Mon, 29 Nov 2010 00:00:00 -0800
Lifestyle

With Thanksgiving officially over, the holiday season is just around the corner. Deals for online and in-store shopping has returned, meaning workers will probably spend time at work looking for online gifts. Cyber Monday, the first Monday after Thanksgiving, marks the start of holiday online shopping.

According to a survey by CareerBuilder that questioned 2,400 employers and 3,100 workers, 29 percent of employees admit to shopping online during office hours. Twenty-seven percent of workers plan to spend at least one hour online shopping while in the office. And 13 percent will be on the Internet shopping for two hours or more.

But workers should be careful of their Internet use, since many companies will track employee's Internet and e-mail history.
Updated: Sun Nov 28, 2010

With Thanksgiving officially over, the holiday season is just around the corner. Deals for online and in-store shopping has returned, meaning workers will probably spend time at work looking for online gifts. Cyber Monday, the first Monday after Thanksgiving, marks the start of holiday online shopping.

According to a survey by CareerBuilder that questioned 2,400 employers and 3,100 workers, 29 percent of employees admit to shopping online during office hours. Twenty-seven percent of workers plan to spend at least one hour online shopping while in the office. And 13 percent will be on the Internet shopping for two hours or more.

But workers should be careful of their Internet use, since many companies will track employee's Internet and e-mail history.

"Employees need to be aware of how much time they are spending online, regardless of the time of year," says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources. "Most employers know that their employees may use some time during the workday for Internet shopping, non-work e-mails and other personal matters, but employees need to be mindful of whether their employer has specific guidelines in place restricting these behaviors."

When it comes to spending time on the Internet for non-work activities, 21 percent of employers have fired someone. And 5 percent of managers fired an employee for online shopping. Because of time wasted from Internet surfing, half of employers restrict workers from being able to enter certain websites during office hours.

Workers should also limit their time spent on sending personal e-mails — 27 percent of managers track e-mail programs, and 9 percent of employers have fired an employee for sending non-work related messages.

Please pay attention to how much time you are spending online, whether it is for shopping or just checking your personal e-mail. Finishing work assignments should be your top priority.

For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com.

TOP 2011 JOBS

With the new year just around the corner, job-seekers hope for continued economic revival with an increase in job opportunities. Robert Half International, a specialized staffing firm, provides insight to the top job positions for the coming year - these industries show an increase in job openings as well as starting salaries.

"The common thread among the jobs highlighted in our research is that they help businesses improve efficiency and profits, and foster a more positive customer experience," says Max Messmer, CEO of Robert Half International. "The most successful job candidates brig multiple skill sets, a track record of success and a strong sense of accountability to their roles."

Here is a peek at the promising jobs for 2011:

— Senior business systems analyst: Improve systems and influence new hardware and software.

— Financial analyst: Assess financial plans, forecasts and budgets.

— Staff accountant: Maintain the general ledger, put together financial reports and manage payroll and accounts receivable and payable.

— ERP technical developer: Modify a company's enterprise resource planning software.

— Business intelligence analyst: Assist with decision-making, decreasing costs and evaluating clients.

— Data modeler: Create techniques for handling, processing and evaluating material.

— Mobile applications designer/developer: New to the list, this position would create applications and advertisements to target users of smartphones and tablet computers.

— User experience (UX) designer: Make influential and inventive experiences for online clients.

— Lawyer: Attorneys with experience in litigation, health care, bankruptcy and foreclosure law.

— Paralegal: Experience with popular specialties and can provide a range of administrative duties.

— Senior administrative assistant: Need training in technical skills, certain industry expertise and staff supervision.

For more information, visit www.rhi.com.