More 'cyber skiving at work'
Updated on 29 December 2008
Employers may be glad to see staff coming in between Christmas and New Year but many of the workers could be using office time to engage in net-surfing "cyber skiving", it has been revealed.
Surfing the web is set to increase 15% with 71% of those working over the next three days likely to spend an average of two hours of office time a day on the internet.
As many as 11% plan to spend half a working day trawling through websites, with the result that around 134 million hours of work will be lost, a survey by Hotels.com found.
For those cyber skiving, shopping online is the most popular pastime, followed by emailing friends, online banking and researching and booking holidays.
When it comes to the gender divide, it is men who are the biggest culprits for cyber skiving. Over two-thirds (68%) of men will be web-dodging at work on the days between Christmas and the New Year, compared with 60% of women.
Skiving during the festive season is not expected to be limited to the web. As many as 63% of those who have to work are planning to arrive at the office late, and a further 66% are planning to go out for long lunches with colleagues.
Alison Couper, director of communications at Hotels.com, said: "It is clear from our research that people are taking advantage of the quiet time at work to research, plan and book their holidays. Our latest Hotel Price Index has shown that prices are falling in many parts of the world so this is a great time for travellers to make the most of reduced rates."
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