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Holiday shopping at work a no-no

ROMA LUCIW

Globe and Mail Update

Latest comment posted at 8:54 AM EST 26/11/07

Survey finds 21% of workers plan to shop online for Christmas presents while at the office ...Read the full article

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  1. West of the Rockies from Canada writes: Is Holiday Shopping while at work any worse than commenting on G&M articles while at work??? Oh-No!
  2. mini wheat from Toronto Area, Canada writes: I'll stop shopping online at work when I stop answering work phone calls and e-mail while I am off work.
  3. Bill MacLean from Canada writes: Nurleman? Yes, Boss? Have you got all our office online Christmas shopping done yet? No, Boss, I barely have time to do my own. Then call Bob from Accountemps. He'll jump right in and get the job done!! But, Boss, they won't let him shop online at Accountemps. That's why I want Bob to come here and do ours!!
  4. Iain Scott from Canada writes: Before the tech wreck they were offering employees free Concierge service. Now their worried about a couple of hours of Xmas shopping? Maybe in the States, but here employers are competing just to hire warm bodies.
  5. Dave Jansen from Canada writes: Typical 'one-size-fits-all' management approach. If you get your work done, that's all that counts. It seems a half-hour here and there doing some shopping is much less disruptive than everyone taking some days off before the holidays...

    Gotta love the cookie-cutter mentality of management.
  6. Kay Ay from Canada writes: It totally depends on your employer.

    At my old job it would've been a complete no no....of course that's why we didn't have internet access at every desk.
  7. Angry West Coast Canuck from Canada writes: Hmm. Let's see. The company expected me to work all hours, including weekends, on my base salary because I was "exempt" (as a tech worker). Then they warned me I wasn't allowed to do anything "personal" at work, but they still expected me to do work things during what would normally be considered "personal" time. Yeah, right. No wonder I quit. And told them exactly where they could put their asinine management ideas. No wonder Canadian businesses are dying, if that's the typical management attitude (latest note: it still seems to be). Management that prefers to look at where and how a person spends their minutes, rather than how effectively a person performs their assigned tasks, is management that deserves to rot in the deepest, smelliest hell.
  8. Sam Snead from Canada writes: This just in, urinating in colleagues coffee cup is a no no.
  9. Rollo Tomasi from Belgium writes: As long as the work gets done, who cares? It's usually the clerical staff who have to account for their time, while professionals do as needed.
  10. Knowledge is True Opinion from Canada writes: Extra long lunches it is then.
  11. Seb D from Ottawa, Canada writes: It used to be that a 1/2 hour lunch would become a 1 to 1 - 1/12 hour lunch, to catch up on Christmas shopping.

    Now it's a few minutes here and there browsing between answering work-related emails and phonecalls. Which is more of a productivity killer?
  12. B to the A to the R to the T from Canada writes: This a no,no, that a no,no. You cannot to some shopping for a few minutes, can't wear what feels comfortable. I guess all the tight-a$%ed puritans get jobs as HR policy makers and pundits. Companies should be more mindful. If a company has a policy of sending work home with people then they should have no issues with employees doing some 'home-making' tasks at work. You want to retain good talent, allow your workers some flexibility. Gimme a break!
  13. Alex Yaxmos from Canada writes: If your employee has time to shop online, comment on forums, well give them more work to do. I know I spent about 4 hours of doing nothing while I wait for things to do. I would love for more work to come by way, it would help with the boredom. I have co-workers that get products ship to our mailroom and they just pick it up on their way out.
  14. Bill Needle from Canada writes: If the workload is lighter during the holidays, workers should use the lull to clear up clutter and update their contact lists to ensure a smooth return to work in January, Mr. Messmer said.

    Yeah right - that's a guaranteed recipe for more work dumped on me by the pointy-haired boss. Besides I'm far too busy processing the on-line shopping returns.
  15. Bill Needle from Canada writes: This article would make a whole new chapter for am updated "Christmas Carol". Scrooge the pointy-haired boss.

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