Do you ever do personal tasks during business hours?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never.

My office requires you to provide notarized statements bi-annually attesting to this. Internet pages are tracked and managers get weekly reports on all sites visited by employees. Any external calls require a passcode. Tom sheets are completed in 15 minute increments regardless of level (director+ even). We also have mandatory training every 3 months on this policy (with a computer based quiz at the end).

Is your employer too dumb to realize personal stuff doesn't require their computer? As in people have smart phones?

[Anonymous]

OP,

You are right that you should not be doing personal stuff during business hours. That is why moms get a bad rap at work and are put on mommy track. You should make it up by working longer hours, at night, or on weekends.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never.

My office requires you to provide notarized statements bi-annually attesting to this. Internet pages are tracked and managers get weekly reports on all sites visited by employees. Any external calls require a passcode. Tom sheets are completed in 15 minute increments regardless of level (director+ even). We also have mandatory training every 3 months on this policy (with a computer based quiz at the end).

I won't be applying to work with your employer. Sounds like working for my parents LOL. No thank you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never.

My office requires you to provide notarized statements bi-annually attesting to this. Internet pages are tracked and managers get weekly reports on all sites visited by employees. Any external calls require a passcode. Tom sheets are completed in 15 minute increments regardless of level (director+ even). We also have mandatory training every 3 months on this policy (with a computer based quiz at the end).

Are they as diligent about your time away from work? Presumably they don't expect emails or calls to be dealt with after hours, on weekends or vacation days.

[Anonymous]

Please, nobody is able to or can be expected to actually work full-speed for 8 hours a day. And doctor's offices and health insurance offices, banks, etc. are only open during work hours. It's reasonable to use time to do personal tasks as long as you're getting your work done.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never.

My office requires you to provide notarized statements bi-annually attesting to this. Internet pages are tracked and managers get weekly reports on all sites visited by employees. Any external calls require a passcode. Tom sheets are completed in 15 minute increments regardless of level (director+ even). We also have mandatory training every 3 months on this policy (with a computer based quiz at the end).

And if I urinate, defecate, or menstruate on 'their' time? Does that go on my notarized statement?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Never.

My office requires you to provide notarized statements bi-annually attesting to this. Internet pages are tracked and managers get weekly reports on all sites visited by employees. Any external calls require a passcode. Tom sheets are completed in 15 minute increments regardless of level (director+ even). We also have mandatory training every 3 months on this policy (with a computer based quiz at the end).

I would kill myself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Please, nobody is able to or can be expected to actually work full-speed for 8 hours a day. And doctor's offices and health insurance offices, banks, etc. are only open during work hours. It's reasonable to use time to do personal tasks as long as you're getting your work done.

Exactly. Work is much more fluid these days - people read and respond to emails at night, on the metro. I used to work with someone and we did our regular monthly call duruping her commute home every month. I'm a manager and this is no big deal as long as people get their work done.

[Anonymous]

I worked at a place like 10:12 when I was pretty new out of college. I would describe it as shitlaw but I was not an attorney, just a paralegal. The pay was decent but the turnover was crazy. So much burnout. This was in the days when most people had cell phones but no one had a smartphone yet. I always wonder how employers who have these policies manage to get any work done because it was seriously impossible to keep people on for more than a year with the exception of a few old timers. So the focus was continually on training of brand new employees rather than developing your existing workforce's expertise.

[Anonymous]

I do, because they don't give me enough actual work to do. I can only "educate" myself for a certain number of hours per day and after several months that gets old too.

[Anonymous]

Of course I do. I'm paid a salary, and I get my job done. If I have extra time, I can do personal things. If I'm extra busy, I'll work extra, and I don't get paid extra for it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP,

You are right that you should not be doing personal stuff during business hours. That is why moms get a bad rap at work and are put on mommy track. You should make it up by working longer hours, at night, or on weekends.

Oh please, men do this too.

[Anonymous]

Yes, and we are allowed to do quick personal things like phone calls. IMHO 45 minutes each day seems like alot.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP,

You are right that you should not be doing personal stuff during business hours. That is why moms get a bad rap at work and are put on mommy track. You should make it up by working longer hours, at night, or on weekends.

Oh please, men do this too.

Exactly. DH spent some of Friday at work handling bills and some family stuff

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP,

You are right that you should not be doing personal stuff during business hours. That is why moms get a bad rap at work and are put on mommy track. You should make it up by working longer hours, at night, or on weekends.

Oh please, men do this too.

Yep and in some cases, worse than women.