
Read more on Christmas in the workplace:
- Christmas conversations you must have with your staff
- How flexible working can help keep the business ticking over Christmas
- ‘Tis the season to be jolly: The importance of Christmas to UK small firms is unveiled
The survey reportedly found that 38 per cent used their work computer rather than a smart device with some employees stating they had spent over three hours online shopping at work! A feature in The Telegraph claimed that around 96m hours of work time in the UK was dedicated to personal Christmas shopping.
There is research to indicate some employers are taking a hard line on this kind of online distraction. A poll by CareerBuilder revealed that 23 per cent of 2,326 employers fired someone for non-work related use of the internet whilst at work. Another issue that has sprung up for employers and irked a few of them is when staff get online purchases delivered to the office rather than home. HSBC, JP Morgan, the DVLA and Citi are but a selection of companies that do not allow their employees to get personal items delivered to their London offices according to The Daily Mail. Mail room staff have become burgeoned with processing a large amount of parcels and so policies to prevent this have come in. Despite all the battening down of work policies in SMEs and corporations all over the UK, there are still many companies that consciously allow a little Christmas wriggle-room in the office ? particularly if it is ordering online at reputable sites in lunch time. Chill out ? it?s Christmas! Tom Vaughton, director of website marketing company, Varn Media, based in Bradford on Avon, said: ?We trust staff to manage their time whether that be on Facebook or Christmas shopping online. ?We find that if staff enjoy their work, have responsibility and understand the importance of their role then monitoring isn?t really an issue. In fact, if there is an issue it is likely a sign that staff are disengaged or feel under-valued at work.? For some companies the days before Christmas become a dead zone in terms of productivity partly because many workers do not want to be ?in the middle? of a job when they leave for the holidays, which unlike summer holidays are rigidly set for most businesses, so they tie off loose ends early. Whether you are an employer or employee, be careful not to lose your income this Christmas and remember ? it?s supposed to be the season of good will. Continue reading on the next page for the four Christmas office danger zones Image: ShutterstockShare this story