Slacking off at work: More common than you might think
October 13, 2008 by Fred HosierPosted in: Employees do the strangest things, In this week's e-newsletter, Latest News & Views
A report about how much time Chicago sanitation workers waste on the job has prompted a look at the overall issue of employees slacking off.
The Chicago inspector general’s office issued a report saying the average sanitation crew wastes just over two hours a day.
The report describes a few garbage workers engaging in behavior such as drinking beer on the clock and urinating in the street. They also were caught doing more mundane things like running errands, taking long lunches and socializing, according to the Chicago Tribune.
As you can imagine, this has created quite an uproar in Chicago.
But a follow-up story in the Tribune points out that American workers acknowledged goofing off at work an average of one hour and 42 minutes a day, according to Salary.com — and that’s just what they admit.
“That happens in most workplaces,” says John Gallagher, chief executive of the Challenger, Grey and Christmas outplacement firm.
Do you think employees at your company slack off for an average of 90 to 120 minutes a day? Let us know in the Comments Box below.
Tags: long lunches, slacking off, socializing
October 13th, 2008 at 9:03 am
Slacking off two hours a day (and the resulting job of trying to cover it up) is WORK. I’m always surprised at how many people work so hard at not working. Obviously, I’m speaking of people who are more supervised than these sanitation workers. Thumbs down to whomever is supposed to be watching them.
I waste about 30 minutes a day. Reading HR Blunders……………….
October 17th, 2008 at 10:47 am
I don’t believe in making people work constantly while on the job. The “give 150% all the time!” mentality makes it incredibly difficult to adjust to changes in the work environment and stifles creativity as it breeds resentment. Slack time happens. When a special project hits, that slack time is used on the project. When the project ends, the slack time returns so that staff can regroup, socialize, compare notes, and recoup energy. Most new idea happen in slack times, not under the gun when people tend to follow rote processes because there’s no time to think. In short (too late!) slack time provides flexibility. Good management focuses on the goal, not on the busywork. Unless busywork IS the goal…
October 17th, 2008 at 10:54 am
I have a theory about work. I call it peaks and valleys.
It is my contention that some slack time (valleys) is needed in the work place because it prevents burn-out and workaholism. The peaks are the crunch times and the expectation is for employees to hump (work really, really hard or intense) when it is required. As an employer, you owe it to your employees to introduce valleys if they are not available. They could be semi-structured or they could just be “looking the other way” except when the expectation is that something needs completed. You must give employees opportunities to get related, enjoy the workplace, engage in co-worker related interactions that are positive, enjoyable, or fun. You also have to set the expectation the each and every employee completes assignments correctly and dutifully as required. Further, you set the expectation for no malicious gossiping and other malfeasance. But when things are rolling along, production is good, stop being the gestapo of time study - and let some slacking just happen. Or if you can’t bring yourself to that point, structure some fun. HR people should be in the forefront of that. That’s peaks and valleys.
October 17th, 2008 at 12:52 pm
I agree with James. There’s a lot of discussion around the topic of “employee engagement” these days and the best indicator of it might be summarized as “the extent to which employees invest their discretionary time in the workplace to do something in the company’s best interest.” Because most savvy managers will do almost anything to not be perceived as being a “micro-manager,” employees have more unsupervised (discretionary) time on their hands. Engaged employees consistently perform better and more, but only when they perceive their boss isn’t over their shoulder. The old MBWA should be more alive and well today than ever before. A smart manager will see slack time as an investment and manage it by being more present in the workplace without being over-present! The subtle message to disengaged slackers, though- “If you’re not pulling your weight, you’re pushing your luck!”
October 17th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
I agree with K. Hamm as well as James & Joe! There has to be down time in an employees work day, to accomodate for the “hump” time that new projects or a crisis calls for. To expect employees to go full-steam and perform at their best 8 - 9 hrs straight all week, is asking for burn-out! I basically build positions and work load around a 7 hr day, lunch and that regroup hour takes up the rest of 8 - 5.
As long as employees aren’t being disruptive in the workplace, I let them find their best way to re-energize!
October 20th, 2008 at 10:39 am
All of the above make very good points - I just wish more supervisors would be reading this! Not only does slack time allow employees to regroup and re-energize, the reduction in stress has a real dollar benefit in over-all productivity because there is usually less sick time taken by employees. Stressed workers are much more susceptible to all the flu, cold and other ‘bugs’ that are out there. If employees are calling off sick, then the time is lost anyway; might as well build de-stressors into the job and keep employees as well and job-satisfied as possible. It pays off-not only do they remail healthier, but I beleive it contributes to lower turn-over rates related to burn out.