Shopping Online: Work Guilty Pleasure?

With holiday deals starting earlier each year, the temptation to act on them – even while at the office – is great.  And the ability to bag up bargains on company time is growing, a new Robert Half Technology survey shows:  Nearly one-quarter (22 per cent) of chief information officers (CIOs) said their firms allow unrestricted access to shopping sites. Another 54 per cent said their companies allow access but monitor activity for excessive use. Only 24 per cent of CIOs said their firms block access to online shopping sites – down 33 per cent from 2012.

Although online shopping seems par for the course in most workplaces, not all employees go about it with a clear conscience: 19 per cent of professionals feel guilty about bargain hunting during work hours, and 27 per cent believe their coworkers are not pulling their weight when they shop on company time.  Managers may be slightly more lenient in their views.  Among 12 per cent of workers who admitted to being caught by the boss while shopping online, only 6 per cent were reprimanded for their deal-seeking ways.  That compares to 27 per cent who ended up "talking shop" with their managers in a positive interaction.  Only 15 per cent of workers said they feel less productive because they tend to get distracted shopping online.

The survey of CIOs asked: "Which one of the following best describes your company's policy regarding employees shopping online while at work?" Their responses*:

*Responses do not total 100 per cent due to rounding.

"Allowing employees access to online shopping is an easy way to gain their appreciation (especially during the holiday season), while demonstrating trust in their time-management abilities," said Deborah Bottineau, senior regional manager of Robert Half Technology. "That said, professionals should be careful to not abuse these digital freedoms by being wary of site security while browsing, and acting responsibly to minimize distractions during work hours."