More firms restricting holiday shopping at work: Survey

Many blocking access to shopping sites, monitoring activity

Workers looking for a jump-start on their holiday gift lists will have a harder time browsing for bargains at the office.

The majority (60 per cent) of chief information officers (CIOs) said their companies block access to online shopping sites — up from 48 per cent last year, according to a survey by Robert Half Technology in the United States.

Another 23 per cent said they allow access but monitor activity for excessive use, found the survey of 1,400 CIOs. The CIOs whose firms allow online shopping said they expect employees to spend four hours per week, on average, surfing for deals this holiday season.

Fourteen per cent of CIOs allow unrestricted access.

"With an increasing number of firms blocking access to shopping sites, many employees may turn to mobile devices to shop at the office," said John Reed, executive director of Robert Half Technology. "Spending excessive time on non-business activities while at work raises a red flag for employers."

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