Phoenix, San Diego and Austin have the largest numbers of workers who said online shopping hinders productivity

The internet makes it easy to shop around the clock, and many workers will be shopping on the clock for the upcoming holidays. New research from staffing firm Robert Half Technology shows 52% of employees will be “workshopping” — that is, shopping online from the office or while using a corporate device. Of those respondents, 44% admitted that surfing for deals hinders their on-the-job productivity.

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In a separate survey, 77% of technology leaders said their firm allows “workshopping,” but more than half (52%) prefer employees abstain from the activity. Security risks (59%) and loss of productivity (34%) were cited as the top “workshopping” concerns among tech managers.

“The weeks leading into the holiday season can be particularly hectic for employees, so it’s no wonder many are multitasking,” said Ryan Sutton, a district president of Robert Half Technology. “Team leaders concerned with productivity and technology managers responsible for organizational security should review their company policies with staff before issues arise.”

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Additional findings:

• Among the 28 U.S. cities in the survey, Miami, Los Angeles and Phoenix have the most employees who plan to “workshop” this holiday season; professionals in Phoenix, San Diego and Austin are most likely to feel their shopping will hamper productivity.
• More men (58%) than women (48%) and 62% of working parents versus 39% of respondents without children said they will shop online from work.
• Employees ages 25-40 (65%) are most likely to “workshop.”
• Male professionals (54%) and employees ages 18 to 24 (63%) are more likely to report productivity decreases due to “workshopping.”
• Half of all “workshoppers” said they’ll spend between 30 and 60 minutes per week shopping on the job during the holiday season, and 20% will partake in the activity for more than an hour each week.
• Cyber Monday is the most popular “workshopping” day among employees (43%), followed by Amazon Prime Day (38%). Thirty-seven percent of workers admitted they like to shop any day of the week.

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