"My customers took to it really easy and they actually use it. Most of them are impressed with the leadership our organization is showing by using the system. It has made a big difference in how our customers view us."

- Travis Browne
Founder
Foundation K9

Where Does the Time Go? Using Time Tracking Business Software to Keep Your Employees on Track

Salary.com's third Wasting Time Survey, just out this summer, shouldn't really surprise most business owners. According to the results from more than 2,000 respondents, the average employee wastes 1.7 hours of a typical 8.5 hour work day. This amounts to billions in employee salaries that companies pay without receiving any benefits.

But some Web 2.0 applications are making it easier for companies to keep a handle on the big time wasters with flexible time tracking business software that anyone can access online.

According to the survey, the big three time-wasters were, as in previous years, personal Internet use, socializing with coworkers and conducting personal business. Employees also revealed they made personal phone calls and took long breaks to run errands. The reasons people cited for why they wasted time at work seem somewhat contradictory. While many employees admit to wasting time because they don't have enough work to do, the second most popular response was "my hours are too long." Survey.com said employees also cite being underpaid and a lack of challenging work as reasons for slacking on the job.

Although the trend showed that time-wasting activities were actually down 19 percent from 2005 figures, companies can still get a tighter hold on expenses by asking employees to keep track of their hours and tasks with time tracking business software. Supervisors can require employees to keep track of their hours and tasks on a flexible online system, and businesses can run reports to make sure employees are staying on task.

Other interesting findings from the 2006 - 2008 Wasting Time Survey:

1. More than 63 percent of respondents admitted to wasting time at work.
2. Younger workers waste more time than their older counterparts. Twenty-something employees reported the highest total 2.1 hours per day. The average for thirty-somethings drops to 1.9 hours and ages 40-49 report wasting just 1.4 hours per day.
3. Survey respondents also noted that some of their work-related activities are a waste of time, such as fixing someone else's work, dealing with office politics and sending or responding to emails.

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While a certain amount of wasted time is built into company salary structures, our research indicates that companies with a challenged and engaged workforce can expect more productivity in return, said Bill Coleman, chief compensation officer at Salary.com. Salary.com also commented that a company who focuses too much on micro-tracking of employee time may risk employee burnout. To that end, the time tracking business software can help companies recognize and improve the processes that eat away an employee's day, thus allowing the employee to spend time on things that mean more to the employee and the company.