British workers ‘just call to say I love you’ on company time

Today is the “most romantic day of the year” and almost two-fifths of British workers have admitted to keeping their love lines open during the working day – and their liaisons could be costing UK employers an astounding £10 billion a year – that’s nearly £400 per person, and over 29 million employees in the UK – says HR experts Croner, part of Wolters Kluwer UK. The research conducted by YouGov on behalf of Croner, found that 37% of people use workplace communications equipment to conduct their personal relationships during office hours. E-mail systems were the most popular means of personal communication amongst the 1,198 British adult workers surveyed, with 22% of respondents saying they had used office systems to conduct a personal or romantic relationship with their loved ones. Those working in offices listed the work desk phone (21%) next, with personal e-mail accounts (18%) and social networking sites (11%) accessed via the office computer, with work mobile phones (6%) following on. Male employees are the surprising romantics, being the most likely of the two sexes to use work equipment to keep in touch with their loved ones, with 39% saying they did so at least on a daily basis, and of these 7% admitting to doing so every single hour of the working day (as opposed to 28% and 1% respectively). People working in London and the south are the most likely group to be found on personal calls or e-mails, with their peers in Scotland least likely to be doing so – and whilst younger workers made greatest use of websites like Facebook and MySpace, their older colleagues are more likely to stick to more traditional means of communication. With each worker costing an average of £17.80 to employ every hour, Croner HR expert Gillian Dowling is advising bosses to make sure their employees understand company policies on using workplace equipment for personal reasons, and to put clear rules in place if they don’t have them already. She says: “Most employers will allow staff to make the odd personal call or send a few e-mails during the day within reason, but if they don’t set clear boundaries, the potential for company losses in terms of both time and money is almost limitless. Employees should also remember that there may be no such thing as a personal call or e-mail if it is made or sent on equipment owned by their employer – bosses may be monitoring their own systems, and staff could end up facing serious disciplinary action if they’re found to be making excessive, illicit or even illegal personal use of communications equipment. “Clarity is the key to avoiding and managing all these issues before they arise. Staff need to understand what is and isn’t seen as acceptable personal use of company equipment, and what the consequences are of stepping outside these boundaries.”