The pressure of long working hours and short lunch breaks means employees across the UK are increasingly being forced to run their personal lives from the office, according to figures released today by Yell.com, the online classified directory service. The research* was commissioned to mark the re-launch of Yell.com, which has been revised and restructured to make it easier for consumers to find goods and services online.
Eighty seven per cent of employees using the Internet at work admitted to accessing it for personal reasons. But employers can take heart from the fact that less than one employee in ten uses the Internet primarily for entertainment. The most frequent reason for logging on from the office was for essential personal administration, including checking bank details and finding services such as hairdressers or plumbers. In addition, 76 per cent of those accessing the web from their desks ensure that it does not affect their work time, by doing so out of normal office hours.
The Yell.com findings also show that today's workforce enjoys an average lunch break of just 35 minutes, while seven per cent of employees surveyed are too busy to take a break at all. The release of this report coincides with the re-design of www.yell.com, making it even easier for users to find relevant information online.
The site features an entirely new look and feel, and now offers more ways to search for company information. In addition to the business type, name and location search, consumers can now find what they're looking for on the site via 17 popular search categories, or through a full A-Z of classifications.
Alternatively, a new Local Focus channel, covering 1,500 locations in the UK, offers a convenient way of finding details on community services and local amenities as well as, for example, restaurants, cinemas and taxi firms. Users of the site can also store their location, so that with each visit, Yell.com will automatically look for businesses in their chosen area.
Aaron Ross, Chair, Work-Life Balance Trust, said of the research: In the past, UK employees have come under fire for taking advantage of the Internet for personal use while they're in the office. But this research illustrates just how hard they are working to balance their personal and professional lives. The findings highlight the need for compromise in the workplace, to ensure that employers' demands for productivity and commitment are not met at the expense of employees' all-important personal lives.
Dr. Eddie Cheng, e-Business director at Yell, said: The Internet has evolved into such an everyday part of people's lives that many of us can no longer imagine how we ever used to function without it. This research confirms our belief that employees and employers alike would benefit from an even quicker way to find goods and services online, saving valuable minutes during the working day. That's why we have given www.yell.com a brand new look, making it easier than ever before for our users to find what they're looking for on the web.
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* Yell.com research conducted by NOP, October 2002
Workaholic Britons forced to run personal lives from the office
According to figures released today by Yell.com