What are your staff doing when they should be working?

Employee productivity, or lack of productivity, has been an unsolvable riddle for employers (last year, Lord Heseltine infamously said this about the ‘productivity puzzle’), but a new survey has now allowed employers to play Big Brother and uncover how their employees take time out during their working day.

The survey (and infographic below) by Stop Procrastinating revealed that 68% of employees are distracted from work by the endless possibility of their web browser, while 17% admitted chatting to a friend on social media whilst in the toilet.

Unconventional office romances have also flourished; 22% have e-mailed a spouse, partner, or lover whilst in a meeting, and 31% have set up a date online. Other, more leisurely pursuits include booking a holiday on work time (38%), online shopping (56%), video watching (9%), and reading an e-book on a smart device or e-reader.