1.5 hours work lost to internet personal use

Office workers such as IT sales jobs employees waste an average of around 90 minutes per week on personal internet use, research has shown.

According to a survey by the Confederation of British industry (CBI), nearly two-thirds of employers suspect their staff of using the internet during work, at a cost to the economy of an estimated £10.6 billion per year.

But CBI deputy director-general, John Cridland, claims that most employers are prepared to be flexible as long as employees get their work done.

He added: "However, £10.6bn a year is a significant sum and this is an issue that firms need to be aware of.

"It can become a problem where staff are spending excessive amounts of time online, are downloading porn or software, or are putting the organisation's reputation at risk."

Meanwhile, a recent survey by IT service firm Telindus found that 39 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds would leave their jobs if they were restricted access to social networking sites.

Aaron Wallis are a Milton Keynes Sales Recruitment agency with a unique service offering that includes 12 months rebate. Psychometric profiling and online skills testing are also included within a fixed recruitment price.

Filed: 09-06-2008