Forty-nine percent of employees say they plan to do some holiday shopping online in the office, which is similar to last year's figure, according to a new survey by jobsite CareerBuilder.
As Christmas nears, shopping in the workplace becomes more popular, the survey finds, as 30 percent of respondents report that they are most likely to shop from work once Dec. 7 hits. While 43 percent of female respondents say they plan to shop online at work, 36 percent of male respondents say the same.
"Employers tend to be more lenient when it comes to workers using breaks or down time to get online and — in some cases — take care of some online shopping," says Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder. "However, it is the employee's responsibility to know and adhere to their company's policy regarding Internet usage. Be aware of how you spend time on the Web, and don't let your holiday shopping get in the way of your productivity."
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Although most respondents impose official Internet policies for their employees to follow, they still use the Web for nonwork reasons. In fact, 25 percent of respondents say they've fired an employee for using the Internet for nonwork activities, and 54 percent of respondents say they block certain websites. Another 7 percent of respondents say they've let go of an employee for shopping online during the holidays in the workplace.
The survey also finds 11 percent of respondents have fired an employee for what he or she posted on social media while 30 percent of respondents say they monitor email use. Even 11 percent of respondents say they've fired an employee for sending nonwork emails.
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