Workers Wasting Less Time

A survey finds employees have cut down on surfing the Web and chatting on the phone at work.

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U.S. workers say they're wasting less time on the job surfing the Web, chatting with colleagues and making personal phone calls, Salary.com reports.

In a recent survey of 2,500 employees in a range of industries, three out of four said they regularly spend part of the workday on activities unrelated to their job, according to the Mass.-based payroll management firm. The activities most frequently cited included personal Internet use, socializing, and conducting personal business, the survey found.

All told, 36 percent of respondents said they waste two or more hours every day, down 10 percent from a similar survey last year.

The survey found most employees waste time when they aren't satisfied with their jobs or feel underpaid.

“Companies are facing a weakened economy, tighter budgets and new stresses on labor markets, all of which can attribute feelings of anxiety and dissatisfaction within the workforce,” Bill Coleman, Salary.com’s head compensation officer, said in a statement.

Employees over 50 reported wasting the least amount of time of any age group, frittering away just half an hour or less of every workday.

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