Uh oh. The jig is up!
For many American workers today, time's a wastin' - literally. According to a new survey by America Online and Salary.com, the average worker admits to frittering away 2.09 hours per 8-hour workday, not including lunch and scheduled break-time....
The biggest distraction for respondents? Personal Internet use. 44.7% of the more than 10,000 people polled cited web surfing as their #1 distraction at work. Socializing with co-workers came in second at 23.4%. Conducting personal business, "spacing out," running errands, and making personal phone calls were the other popular time-wasting activities in the workplace.
Check out who's wasting the most time at work by state: the "Show Me" state is max vegging on Ebay, followed closely by those half-awake Hoosiers. Folks on the Big Island, though, appear to be lying through their teeth....then again, there's this important footenote
(3) Estimate only. An insufficient number of responses was received from state residents. Estimate is based in part on responses received from persons living in the region in which the state is located (but not the state itself). Regions are based on boundaries recognized by the Census Bureau of the U.S. Department of Commerce.
"Persons living in the region" but not in the state? Who'd they factor into Hawaii's numbers? Sea turtles?
Now I don't mean to discourage productivity by urging you to visit my blog and those of the few I bothered to list on the sidebar, but Jesus people, three hours a day goofing off at work? That seems to be a bit excessive, no? Look what happens to slackers: this website hasn't been updated in years! Let's get out there and produce...something.
And Portia? Limit the lunches to 3 hours, okay?
UPDATE:
Ah, there's nothing like a slacker's horoscope to get the juices flowing on a hot Tuesday morning:
LEO: If executive action is called for remember that choosing to wait on a final decision is also an action.
Take the day off, folks.
15 comments:
One thing at a time, spd...I'm still working on reigning in my NRLs ("no return" lunches) :)
Portia is the Queen of the high-priced, lazy lunch. I have always envied her for that.
You should try it once in a while Cass, it's good for the "work" soul.
Yes spd, high-priced, but rarely lazy: There's always some type of *ahem* negotiation underway:)
I used to work with an associate who had mastered the art of long lunches. He kept a spare suit jacket in his office, and left it hanging over the back of his desk chair while he was "researching." The ol' "he must be in the Library" ruse. It worked for a while. Regrettably, nowadays with "Crackberrys," cell phones and the like, it's much more difficult to remain unfound. Sigh.
I know that I ma going to regret this, but:
Where to for lunch today, Portia? Now that "Restaurant Week" has been extended until Labor Day (no doubt to honor London winning the 2012 Olympics, what high powered eatery is on your radar?
(I brought leftover vegetable lasagne, myself.)
Well spd, it's funny you should ask..... I'm buying [read:charging] lunch today for several of my staff who just returned--victorious I might add--from a 3-week trial in Wilmington. It's the least I can do to say 'thank you." Any suggestions what I should order?
Oh, by the way, anybody have a suit jacket I can borrow?
I'd start with the Tuna Tartare, and then go to the Black Cod. As the cod is finish with miso, I think that I would need a hearty compliment. A pinot noir perhaps?
One more thing--and so you won't fret that I'm being careless with other people's pocketbooks-- the restaurant does have its own special $25 prix fixe lunch menu...it also has a special $25 prix fix lunch wine menu. How cool is that? I see a new restaurant trend emerging. I also see a flight in my immediate future....
Excellent choices, and pinot noir is one of my favorite wines. In fact, I sampled a delicious bottle of pinot noir last time I had dinner in the great state of Virginia at the Ritz Carlton in Arlington. Good stuff.
Later. I've got a lot on my plate...:)
If you aren't part of the solution, you are part of the problem. spd, mr. blogmaster, you are part of the problem.
What problem?
[I'm going to ignore spd's last question....]
So I'm back in 1-1/4 hours (not counting travel time). What do I win? Just as figured. Good thing I had dessert there.
Lest we paint the wrong picture here Cass, I have more lunches--and dinners-- at my desk than I care to count but I do get out to restaurants during the work day more often than spd does...it's not difficult:) Some days when he's not happy with his leftovers, I'll even send him a course by course description of the meal, maybe even a picture or two so he can feel, well...more full. Hey, that's what friends are for, no?
shit, i'm having so much trouble just keeping my workload under control... don't think i take more than an hour a day of the "bosses" time to redirect my thoughts for a while...
damn, i need some kind of diversion after all the shit i'm saddled up with nowadays...
nice blog, btw... just found it by random bloghopping :D
Well, howdy Bart.
Waste your time here more often.
"What did you have, Portia?" he asked wanting to live vicariously through her because his 28 minute lunch was interrupted four times by people who cannot comprehend that when my door is closed it means I DON'T WANT TO SEE YOU NOW GO AWAY.
OK, but only because you asked: For starters, the creamy, rich seared foie gras followed by the marinated miso black cod (deliciously moist with the skin crispy and still intact) with artichoke and tomato confit, washed down with a flight of a full, dark ruby pinot noir from Shea Vineyards, Oregon topped off by a couple--make that several--spoonfuls of to-die-for- creme brulee. A double espresso sans grappa and the check, please.
What's for dinner?
I had to ask...
Post a Comment