Lunchtime surfers book holidays
The growth of the Internet has been an absolute godsend for skivers.
Hunch over a computer, concentrate very hard on the screen, and tap away at the keyboard. Your boss will be convinced he has a hard working employee, leaving you free to access football and gossip sites and email your friends until your heart’s content.
Some websites even have a button you can press for when the boss walks past your desk; it immediately brings up a complex sales graph.
When mobile phones entrepreneur John Caudwell got wind of how much time his staff were spending on emails, he banned the practice completely. That may sound draconian, but he is a billionaire, so he’s doing something right!
New research has confirmed that people search for holidays from their work computers, but at least they usually do it when they’re on a break.
According to three travel firms, lunchtime on Tuesday is the most popular time to browse holiday sites. By the weekend, the numbers have dropped by around half.
So, although an increasing number of people have computers and broadband access at home, they’d rather do their searching over a sandwich at work.
The Institute of Credit Management found that British workers claim they have no time for a proper lunch break, with more than half saying they take less than 30 minutes away from their desk. Maybe that’s because they prefer to spend their lunchtime searching for holidays and flights!
Guest Article by Jeremy Skidmore
Thursday, March 30th, 2006
My name is Alan Potts and I'm the Editor of the UK Ferry Tickets web site and Managing Director of BUYability Limited. You can connect with me or keep up to date with new posts on this blog via the following social media sites: 
