In a recent survey involving 2300 telephone calls by Robert Half International, roughly 70% of CIOs interviewed said that they will allow their employees to shop online for the holiday season while at work. Only 29% of the chief information officers surveyed said that they will block access to online shopping sites. This is according to a Robert Half International press release. an executive of Robert Half International commented that “workers who are given this type of flexibility may be more focused and productive on the job because they’re worrying less about getting through their holiday to do lists.”
Typically, holiday shopping season in the United States begins around the Thanksgiving holiday which usually occurs in the last week of November and continues to mid-January of the following year. During the holiday shopping season, retailers aim to create special offers and high levels of inventory turnover in order to turn a profit for the year. In the past, the number of CIOs willing to provide unrestricted access to online shopping sites was lower than it is today, showing signs that the majority of employers are beginning to relax online restrictions to their employees when it comes to quality of life essentials.
This contrasts the ongoing trend that the majority of employers continue to provide more restrictive online policies for access to sites such as Facebook, LinkedIn, and twitter.
John Reed, a Robert Half International executive, advises employees against abusing company policies when it comes to access to online retail and shopping sites, lest employers begin heavier restrictions on their employees online activities.
