According to a new Robert Half Technology survey, more employees may be bagging holiday bargains on the job this Cyber Monday. Sixteen percent of chief information officers (CIOs) interviewed by staffing firm Robert Half Technology said they give their workers unrestricted access to online shopping sites — up from 10 percent last year. More than half (54 percent) said they allow on-the-job online shopping but monitor activity for excessive use. Less than one-third (29 percent) of CIOs said their firms block access to online shopping sites — down slightly from 33 percent a year ago.
So if you're one of the many who plan to shop online this holiday, it's important to make sure that you're not abusing your company's Internet policies. It doesn’t reflect well on any professional to be flagged as someone who spends a lot of work time shopping online.
Robert Half Technology offers three tips to keep in mind this season:
1. Understand the policy. Don’t assume your company’s web policy is unrestrictive just because you haven’t gotten official word. Check the company handbook, and ask around. If the policy is not clear, play it safe and use non-work times like your lunch hour to shop.
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2. Don’t get ‘lost in cyberspace.’ With all the deals on Cyber Monday, you may be tempted to spend hours on end scooping up bargains. If your goal is to shop until you drop, take a vacation day.
3. Limit online ‘window shopping.’ Conduct product research and price comparisons on your own time so you can make online purchases quickly — and get back to work faster.