August 1, 2006

IN HR'S DREAMS:

Workers spend 2 hours a day goofing off, survey finds (Margarita Bauza, 8/01/06, Detroit Free Press)

American workers spend almost two hours a day at work calling friends, surfing the Internet, running errands and "spacing out," according to the second annual survey of time wasted at work by America Online and Salary.com.

The survey polled 2,706 workers last month, including AOL users and corporate human resource professionals. Results were based on an eight-hour day.


You find me someone who does more than two hours of work a day and I'll show you someone who's a better faker than Sally.

Posted by Orrin Judd at August 1, 2006 6:11 PM
Comments

Something to think about the next time you get a bill from a lawyer, isn't it?

Posted by: Random Lawyer at August 1, 2006 6:52 PM

oj,
And my prize would be?
Not all of your readers are intellectually conceited poseurs working in some sort of PR/Socially conscious/unionized school teacher occupation.
Due to my own my own fault, I'm now working as a card dealer in a CA Indian Casino.
Six hours out of every eight hour day, I'm working as an organ grinder's monkey, getting tips for entertainment. I'm a good monkey, so, if we got to keep our own, I'd be making over $1k a week in tips. But, trust me, I'd much rather be in my halcyon mid-80's M&A life, where I worked 80+ hours a week, and earned mid-hi six figure incomes.
I've never heard of anyone, outside of politicians and public employee union members, getting by on two hours work a day.
Mike

Posted by: Mike Daley at August 2, 2006 12:57 AM

He does, therefore you do too.

Posted by: joe shropshire at August 2, 2006 2:32 AM

oj, have you ever had a proper job?

Posted by: Mörkö at August 2, 2006 3:45 AM

OJ, you can find a great number of people who work more than two hours a day if you visit the school your children attend.
And, by the way, Mike Daley, I may have belonged to a teachers' union, but I can assure you I worked many more than two hours each and every day - not only in the school, but at home preparing lessons, etc.

Posted by: dorothy judd at August 2, 2006 8:16 AM

I've taught--if you do an hour's preparation the rest is just showing up.

Posted by: oj at August 2, 2006 8:54 AM

Morko:

Lots.

Posted by: oj at August 2, 2006 9:03 AM

mike:

Studies show you're incapable of engaging in what you do mentally for more than two hours. The rest is just posing.

Posted by: oj at August 2, 2006 9:04 AM

Of course, OJ's commentary is based upon hanging around white collar workers.

The guys working on my addition are working 10 hour days in 95+ heat, as am I, when I'm done with my 2 hour radio show.

If OJ is correct about engaging the brain for only 2 hours, then the best answer is to work more than one "job."

Posted by: Bruno at August 2, 2006 10:18 AM

Of course, OJ's commentary is based upon hanging around white collar workers.

The guys working on my addition are working 10 hour days in 95+ heat, as am I, when I'm done with my 2 hour radio show.

If OJ is correct about engaging the brain for only 2 hours, then the best answer is to work more than one "job."

Posted by: Bruno at August 2, 2006 10:18 AM

Not only are blue collar jobs no different,m but even assembly line jobs, which folks imagine must be constant toil, are no different.

Posted by: oj at August 2, 2006 10:25 AM

First, we must define "work."

It's interesting that even on this string where we should all know better, work is seen as physical. The guys working on Bruno's addition are really working and in hot weather!

While to the uninformed eye some of us might be thought of as goofing off when in reality we're laboring in the same 95+ degree heat composing biting commentary on the mental and moral acuity of our local taxing authority.

Posted by: erp at August 2, 2006 11:33 AM

I resent the implications here of "two hours". I know I put in at least a good three hours of productivity during the eight hours I bill for every day. And that's not counting overtime.

Posted by: Raoul Ortega at August 2, 2006 12:41 PM

That counts the hour you spend figuring out how to bill two as eight as work.

Posted by: oj at August 2, 2006 12:45 PM

Fortunately for you, oj, your kids teachers do not consider that just showing up is teaching!

Posted by: dorothy judd at August 2, 2006 6:44 PM

Our kids have three different recesses a day. No one even pretends to be teaching.

Posted by: oj at August 2, 2006 6:47 PM
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