Personal relationships in office hours costs employers
£10 billion per year
15 February 2008
EMPLOYEES who use their employer’s company equipment to pursue their personal relationships could face disciplinary action; warns one of Preston’s leading law firms, MWR Solicitors.
Recent research shows that nearly two in five people use workplace equipment to send personal communication during office hours. Experts at Croner, who carried out the research, have estimated that this lost productivity could cost UK businesses as much as £10 billion a year.
Of the 1,198 workers surveyed, 22 per cent used work email accounts, 21 per cent used the work’s telephone, 18 per cent used their personal email accounts, with a further 11 per cent using social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace during office hours. Meanwhile, six per cent of workers surveyed admitted to using their company mobile phone for personal calls.
Surprisingly, the research found that it was men who are more likely to use their office’s equipment to keep in touch with their loved ones. 39 per cent of those surveyed said that they did so every day, compared with just 28 per cent of women.
Sadiq Vohra, partner and employment law specialist at MWR Solicitors said: “Personal communications during office hours could cost UK businesses a fortune and with the rise in popularity of social networking sites, this cost could increase even further.
“In order to combat the problem, employers need to provide a clear guideline on what they feel is acceptable personal use of office equipment. Most employers allow their employees the odd phone call or email, so it important to let employees know the boundaries but also make it clear what could happen if these boundaries are crossed, such as it resulting in disciplinary action.”
