It is amazing how inventive workers can be when it relates to avoiding work.
There seems to be a limitless number of time wasters available for anyone seeking refuge from the rigors of their work life.
Who knew that some of the most lifeless and lethargic workers on the job could show such zeal and ingenuity in finding ways to avoid doing work. Maybe, it’s a strange gift of sorts, like being able to count cards or a photographic memory.
Looking to avoid the pain associated with work? Take some tips from the experts.
1. Cell Phone Usage
Since cell phones have become small entertainment centers, it is no surprise that they are the perfect time waster of choice for employees. It is not uncommon to see an employee cracking up over a YouTube video or watching the game highlights from a favorite team. This 24-hour, portable screen makes it very easy to get your media fix on the go.
2. Social Interaction
Office politics dictate a certain amount of perfunctory socializing. Problems arise when those extroverts in the office spend most of the day telling jokes and hanging out with their favorite work buddies. These people spring out of their chairs often, unable or unwilling to work.
3. Snack Breaks
Who hasn’t visited the break room hoping for relief from boredom or that afternoon lull in the day. Food that you would never eat looks appealing. Peanuts, candy and almost every other nutrition-free snack on earth can usually be purchased in the breakroom of big companies or in a nearby cafe on the premises.
4. Inefficient Meetings
One meeting might actually equal three meetings by the time you meet before the meeting to decide what to say in the meeting. Then there is the obligatory meeting after the main meeting to discuss what was said in the meeting. This is how a thirty-minute meeting morphs into 2 hours of time wasted.
5. Social Media
Checking Facebook and Twitter is an obsession for many people. All you have to do is look around at the tops of all the people’s heads as they walk down the street, stand in line and eat with eyes glued to their phone.
If you watch people closely, you’ll be amazed at how people will walk in front of cars and worse, because they are so preoccupied. It is no surprise that people are checking Facebook and Twitter at work regularly.
6. Primping
Have you ever noticed how some women come into work looking one way, then you see them an hour later, and they’re a new person. Why do hair and make up at home, when you can take the time to finish getting ready in the bathroom at work? Men can even get in on the act, shaving once they arrive.
7. Flirting or Having an Affair
Since people spend so many of their waking hours at work, it is not surprising that romance does develop between co-workers. Perhaps one of the reasons workplace romance is so exciting is because it’s against the rules of most companies. Be forewarned, you could easily walk in on two people in a compromising position someday while at work.
8. Smoke Breaks
Now that workers are often forced off the property to smoke, a smoke break may require you to take a literal hike to leave the premises. If you do this several times a day, you are wasting some serious time to accommodate your smoking habit. As time wasters go, taking a smoke break is one of the worst.
9. Watching Porn
There are employees who are addicted to porn. Going to work is not going to change this fact. What better stress buster is there than watching some porn when things get boring or difficult on the job.
10. Make Coffee
Making coffee takes time, particularly if you end up chatting with co-workers for a few minutes after the coffee is finally brewed. It is easy to waste 15 or 20 minutes going to get coffee. To add extra time to this activity, throw out any coffee that might be old and start a fresh pot.
11. Perform Housekeeping Duties
Some employees pitch in to water the plants and dust or vacuum when the urge arises. While most businesses pay a janitorial staff, they are never as fastidious as some employees expect them to be. In cases where small businesses expect employees to help out with the cleaning, this gives employees the perfect excuse to clean.
12. Checking Emails
Some employees check their personal emails several times a day. While it takes only a second to read and delete an email, some emails get read, answered and read again. For employees who get 100 or more emails per day, this can be a time-consuming activity that easily takes up an hour daily.
13. Taking Care of Personal Business
In an open workplace environment, it is easy to hear mothers making their kids dental appointments and checking up on them when they get home from school. There are phone calls being made to make vacation reservations and to discuss the car repairs you need with the mechanic. In some of the worst situations, employees spend more time conducting their personal business than attending to corporate matters.
14. Perform Job Search Activities
As bold as it sounds, there are always people looking for their next job while working. Resume preparation and discreet phone calls to recruiters are commonplace. Many of those private calls that force people outside are calls from job prospects.
15. Sleeping on the job
Believe it or not, there are people actually sleeping on the job. Employees with a door, a cubicle, or even just a desk big enough to hide under, can easily catch up on sleep. If you are lucky enough to have a “gatekeeper,” sleeping on the job is a breeze.
17. Gambling
Many offices have football pools. This type of activity takes some planning and lots of discussion about upcoming games and the winners and losers each week. Depending on the office, you can always have something like this going on year-round.
18. Birthdays, Baby Showers and Christmas Celebrations
When you have more than 10 people on staff, there seems to always be an excuse to celebrate. There’s cake to eat, long birthday lunches, baby showers and a holiday blowout in December. Sure it’s good for morale, but there is no denying that all these activities burn significant time.
19. Selling Children’s Girl Scout Cookies and other Fundraising Activities
It is easy to spend a lot of money at work trying to be a good sport to support other people’s kids. There are plenty of forms to complete and checks to be written to buy cookies you don’t need and candy that is stale.
Conclusion
While this list is a good start, there are many more ways to waste time on the job. When people are bored or unfulfilled, they can find a lot of other things to do. That’s why tracking employee’s results is often recommended. Depending on the type of work performed, this can be a difficult task. We’re here to help. Learn more.
