4 ms·

Am I the only one who thinks, gee, can't we just do actual work at the place we are being paid to "work" and not goof off needing something like this? I get it

Am I the only one who thinks, gee, can't we just do actual work at the place we are being paid to "work" and not goof off needing something like this? I get it, people need downtime every now and then. How about doing something that's different, but still benefits the company? Maybe I'm just getting old, but it really bothers me how much I see coworkers on Facebook, or worse, especially as most of them are the ones who barely put in an 8hr day.

taeric 10y ago
Good luck defining what is "different, but still benefits the company." In particular, I'd wager there is someone that has found or done something on facebook that was worth more than a typical day of most people's work. Hell, a typical good day.
downandout 10y ago
If this bothers you and your bosses, a much more effective approach than trying to physically catch them would be to simply either block Facebook or write something that logs the amount of time people are spending on the corporate network browsing those types of sites. Tell everyone that these wasted time stats will be baked into their performance reviews. Voila - you now have a fun-free workplace.
- SapphireSun 10y ago
  Or people just use their phones instead but the atmosphere is somewhat poisoned. :)
  - jsjohnst 10y ago
    It's more often in meetings that I see it, people on their phone randomly flicking through their Facebook feed rather than participating. My personal thought is, if you're that bored, then excuse yourself from the meeting and do something else.
- bbcbasic 10y ago
  Yep people will leave: the good people.
- jsjohnst 10y ago
  "Catch" is the wrong word. That implies there's punishment. It's more a disappointment, than a retaliation. I don't want to look for the bad in folks, I want to encourage the good.
jbpetersen 10y ago
I'll bet many of these are the same jobs where people are expected to be responsive during their off-hours regardless of whether they're on-call.
- jsjohnst 10y ago
  That would be true in other places I've been in the past (especially in the Valley), but whenever someone on my team is responsive outside work hours and has been working more or less as expected during office hours, I tell them to take the afternoon off or come in late. If it's a recurring thing due to a major deadline that's behind schedule, then they get extra vacation days.
chillwaves 10y ago
> barely put in an 8hr day. That should be everyone.
- jsjohnst 10y ago
  Your salary, if it's appropriate to your skill level and work output, is based on 8ish (ish due to lunch / breaks) hours a day of your level of output. If you want to do non-work related things for half the day, then obviously you shouldn't expect to be in office less than 8 hours and still be doing your part to earn the salary. Now yes, if your job is under-paying you for your actual ability, then obviously that changes this balance. Same goes if you're constantly pulled in outside work hours to do things and still put in 8hr days (and your salary isn't factoring in those extra hours). If either of these are happening, your better bet is to find an employer who values you as more than just a cog in a wheel if you can. I'm not arguing for the "capitalist employers side" saying work more, get paid less b/s. I'm saying engineers in general are well paid (compared to many other fields) and we shouldn't take advantage of that.

taeric 10y ago

Good luck defining what is "different, but still benefits the company." In particular, I'd wager there is someone that has found or done something on facebook that was worth more than a typical day of most people's work. Hell, a typical good day.

downandout 10y ago

If this bothers you and your bosses, a much more effective approach than trying to physically catch them would be to simply either block Facebook or write something that logs the amount of time people are spending on the corporate network browsing those types of sites. Tell everyone that these wasted time stats will be baked into their performance reviews. Voila - you now have a fun-free workplace.

SapphireSun 10y ago
Or people just use their phones instead but the atmosphere is somewhat poisoned. :)
- jsjohnst 10y ago
  It's more often in meetings that I see it, people on their phone randomly flicking through their Facebook feed rather than participating. My personal thought is, if you're that bored, then excuse yourself from the meeting and do something else.
bbcbasic 10y ago
Yep people will leave: the good people.
jsjohnst 10y ago
"Catch" is the wrong word. That implies there's punishment. It's more a disappointment, than a retaliation. I don't want to look for the bad in folks, I want to encourage the good.

jbpetersen 10y ago

I'll bet many of these are the same jobs where people are expected to be responsive during their off-hours regardless of whether they're on-call.

jsjohnst 10y ago
That would be true in other places I've been in the past (especially in the Valley), but whenever someone on my team is responsive outside work hours and has been working more or less as expected during office hours, I tell them to take the afternoon off or come in late. If it's a recurring thing due to a major deadline that's behind schedule, then they get extra vacation days.

chillwaves 10y ago

> barely put in an 8hr day. That should be everyone.

jsjohnst 10y ago
Your salary, if it's appropriate to your skill level and work output, is based on 8ish (ish due to lunch / breaks) hours a day of your level of output. If you want to do non-work related things for half the day, then obviously you shouldn't expect to be in office less than 8 hours and still be doing your part to earn the salary. Now yes, if your job is under-paying you for your actual ability, then obviously that changes this balance. Same goes if you're constantly pulled in outside work hours to do things and still put in 8hr days (and your salary isn't factoring in those extra hours). If either of these are happening, your better bet is to find an employer who values you as more than just a cog in a wheel if you can. I'm not arguing for the "capitalist employers side" saying work more, get paid less b/s. I'm saying engineers in general are well paid (compared to many other fields) and we shouldn't take advantage of that.