Survey shows work-time spent not working

A survey conducted last year has highlighted the amount of time spent during a working day on other tasks.

According to the results of the 2007 Wasting Time Survey, it was discovered that employees in the UK spent a total of 1.7 hours in the workplace, on average, either browsing the internet or socialising, reports the Scotsman.

"People can get weighed down by all sorts of things, from relationships through to work issues, and that can lead them to believe there just aren't enough hours in the day to deal with anything. This isn't always the case; often it's about prioritising and taking stock," said Lesley Benzie, the chief executive of Glasgow's Royston Stress Centre.

The findings were based upon the average working day of 8.5 hours.

However, employers may wish to consider the impact of stress within their workplace as, according to the Health and Safety Executive, reducing stress levels at work can generate a number of positive effects, including reducing levels of staff turnover.