'Cyberloafing' At Work Boosts Productivity, Researchers Find

Bosses may have it all wrong when they assume that funny cat videos and FAIL slideshows are a drain on the workplace. Some new research finds that a moderate amount of mindless web surfing actually makes workers more productive at their jobs.

And the more mindless the surfing, the better.

"Employees who browse the web more end up being more engaged at work, so why fight that if it's in moderation?" says Don J.Q. Chen, a researcher at the National University of Singapore and a co-author of the new report, presented Tuesday at the annual meeting of the Academy of Management.

Although personal web browsing is generally seen as a workplace problem, Chen and his colleague, Vivien K. G. Lim, set out to determine if so-called "cyberloafing" had any benefits. They found that not only did it refresh workers after long work stretches, it made workers more productive than if they'd been given time to talk or text with friends or send personal emails.

In one experiment, the researchers established three groups who were performing the same work task. After a while, the first group was given a traditional break away from the computer; the second was told to go bundle sticks; and the third was allowed to fool around on the internet. When they returned to work, the latter group was significantly more productive than the other two.

Chen says the web surfing provided the workers with "an instantaneous recovery." "When you're stressed at work and feel frustrated, go cyberloaf. Go on the net. After your break, you come back to work refreshed."

In another experiment, researchers gave two groups a break from work, allowing one to send personal emails to friends, the other to surf the web as they pleased. Again, the group idling on the web came back more engaged. Chen suspects it's because writing emails requires a craft that some workers may find taxing.

Chen says there's a simple lesson for employers in the new findings.

"Hey, relax. Let them cyberloaf a little," he says of workers. "It will help them and it will help you, too."

Comments

[Widespread Panic]

10:06 PM on 08/19/2011

I'd rather be busy enough that I didn't have time to surf the web on a regular basis.

[Tony Chavira]

02:16 PM on 08/18/2011

Why yes, I do enjoy getting my beliefs re-affirmed while wasting time in Huffington Post!

[onionboy]

03:00 PM on 08/17/2011

I think this study was carried out by researchers who really love World of Warcraft.

[politicky]

01:17 PM on 08/17/2011

Akin to ocean wave surfing, also known to increase productivity when employee is working.

[abuckley23]

12:33 PM on 08/17/2011

I agree. Twitter is the only reason I make it through my work day without murdering co-workers.

[MSROADKILL612]

06:05 AM on 08/17/2011

reverse telecommuting - pay the bills at work

[carl cid inting]

06:04 AM on 08/17/2011

A friend told me that online porn gets his creative juices flowing. Is this what he meant?

[MSROADKILL612]

06:02 AM on 08/17/2011

I heard of a guy who rigged a fake, clearly labelled, security camera above his cubicle so the bosses wouldnt dream he was skiving

[MSROADKILL612]

05:54 AM on 08/17/2011

Sounds right but slanted. Productive work places have trust. I always preferred working an extra hour & getting it done, to having the boss looking askance at me 4 being late cos stuff happens.

A dentist appointment or a private call was never a problem. didnt even dock me. he pays u 4 8 hrs, he should on average get it, from a well slept, alert employee. dont take his money otherwise, or hit him for a raise if that aint the norm.

[The Internets]

02:10 AM on 08/17/2011

As the driving force behind your increased productivity, we, The Internets, would like to extend a huge "YOU'RE WELCOME!" to all our fans.

Now, get back to work. We're watching you. Yes, you, Nick Davis in Decatur, Illinois. Don't make us report you.

[parrotfish]

10:36 PM on 08/16/2011

See what I have been saying Big Guy, me spending 6 hours on YouTube is making this company money hand over fist...thats why my bonus should be bigger......

[MSROADKILL612]

06:08 AM on 08/17/2011

your boners are bigger

[Mrald]

07:26 PM on 08/16/2011

WHAT A LOAD OF CRAP!!! They are being paid to work, not goof off. These days you are lucky to get 5 hours work out of someone who is supposed to work an eight hour day !!!
........and some of these people wonder why they are unemployed....H E L L O.......

[Maranda MassieGuthrie]

08:24 PM on 08/16/2011

I believe you need to go Google some facts..these days people are expected to do the job of 1 1/2 to 2 people and do it for longer and less pay! if they dare get sick or fall behind they are threatened to be replaced with someone unemployed!

[vazzy13]

09:49 PM on 08/16/2011

You sound like a middle manager being pressured to increase productivity, so you threaten your employees and every little "loaf" becomes a big "problem with performance," which puts pressure on the employee, which makes them want to "loaf" even more to relieve the stress, which....oh you get the idea, it's a vicious downward spiral that ends with the employee leaving...which then increases attrition, and then money has to be spent to recruit, hire, and train a replacement... If management would just relax and treat employees like HUMANS who have lives outside of work that matter to them, and understand that the HUMAN brain needs a break from intense focus....they'd save a lot of time and money and stress for everyone involved!

[Mrald]

08:46 PM on 08/17/2011

No, I am a retired Manager and I have seen more than my share of unproductive employees. If the loafers are not addressed, the good employees leave because they become overworked and frustrated because they feel compelled to pick up the slack.

I never threatened my employees, I simply reviewed the job expectations with them. It was always their choice whether they did their job or not...it was also their choice if they had a job or not.

I treated everyone like a human being but I expected them to do the job they were hired to do in a timely manner.

[joebaggadonuts]

06:20 PM on 08/16/2011

Why these findings weren't obvious is what's confusing to me.

[oftenon]

04:11 PM on 08/16/2011

and frequent masturbation reduces incidence of prostate cancer - sometimes things just work out!

[MSROADKILL612]

06:11 AM on 08/17/2011

Is that right? God, as if we guys dont have enough chores.

[Russell Masingale]

03:35 AM on 08/18/2011

there is something i did not think about. turning a pleasurable activity into work. damn you science!

[realorpretend]

04:11 PM on 08/16/2011

This is so funny. When my old job installed non-work related filters on their servers productivity increased substantially.

[joebaggadonuts]

06:22 PM on 08/16/2011

Proof? You left! Thus they lost their best employees and kept the drones and dregs, meaning that their measure of productivity is the kind which leads to off shoring of jobs rather than meaningful and high level successful business.

[realorpretend]

06:59 PM on 08/16/2011

I went back to school, it was a seasonal position for me.

[Fromageball]

07:33 AM on 08/17/2011

How do you know that productivity increased substantially?

[realorpretend]

08:00 AM on 08/17/2011

We all talked about it.