One in Four Workers Job Hunt On Employers' Dime

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One in Four Workers Job Hunt On Employers' Dime
Hudson Survey Finds Manager Supervision Effective at Curbing Personal Internet
                                     Use

    NEW YORK, March 22 /PRNewswire/ -- One-quarter (23 percent) of U.S.
workers who use a computer at work admit to having searched for a new job on
their companies' time and resources, according to a new survey by Hudson.  On
top of that, three in ten send and receive personal e-mails at work at least
most days, if not every day.  Another 28 percent say they do so occasionally.
    Most workers who use computers say their employers know they use the
Internet for personal business.  In fact, three-quarters of them believe their
bosses are aware of how much they use the Internet for non-work related
activities, and half (48 percent) say their companies monitor their computer
use.  Of those who believe their Internet use is screened, 74 percent report
that their companies have formal policies regarding e-mail and Web usage.
    Interestingly, 26 percent of workers who believe their Internet use is
monitored have looked for new career opportunities while at work.  That figure
drops to 21 percent for employees whose managers know they use the Internet
for non-work related tasks, and jumps to 32 percent for workers who believe
their manager is unaware.
    "Employers should not discount the impact attentive managers have on
shaping workplace behavior and productivity," according to Kris Rzepkowski,
Interactive Manager, Hudson North America.  "Corporate policies serve their
purpose, but employees respond best when those rules are a part of the day-to-
day interaction with their supervisors."
    However, managers are no better than the rest of the work force when it
comes to using the Internet for personal matters.  Not only have 24 percent of
them owned up to job hunting at work, but one-third send or receive personal
e-mails on the job at least most days, compared to 26 percent of non-managers.
    The survey also looked at how much time workers spend each day online
attending to personal matters, whether or not they blog about their employers,
if they know a colleague who has been reprimanded for inappropriate computer
use and how frequently they check personal email, surf the Web, shop online,
and visit chat rooms/blogs. Data broken down by employer type, company size,
managerial status, gender, age and race is available online at
http://www.hudson-index.com.

    Survey Highlights

                             All      Workers     Workers
                           Workers  Ages 18-29  Ages 50-64   Men     Women

    Have Job Searched at     23%        33%         15%      22%      24%
    Work

    Surf the Web for
    Personal Reasons at      12%        20%          8%      14%       9%
    Least Most Days at
    Work

    Spend More Than 30
    Minutes Each Day on       6%        10%          4%       7%       5%
    Personal Matters
    Online

    The Hudson Internet use survey is based on a national poll of 2,694 U.S.
workers who use computers at work conducted March 11-13, 2006 and was compiled
by Rasmussen Reports, LLC, an independent research firm
(http://www.RasmussenReports.com). The margin of sampling error for a survey based on
this number of interviews is approximately +/-3 percent with a 95 percent
level of confidence. A more detailed data report is available at
http://www.hudson-index.com.

    Hudson, one of the world's leading professional staffing, outsourcing and
talent management solutions providers, also publishes the Hudson Employment
Index(SM), a monthly measure of the U.S. work force's confidence in the
employment market.  The next Hudson Employment Index will be released on
April 5.

    Hudson
    Hudson delivers specialized professional staffing, outsourcing, and talent
management solutions worldwide. From single placements to total solutions, the
firm helps clients achieve greater organizational performance by assessing,
recruiting, developing and engaging the best and brightest people for their
businesses.
    Hudson is a division of Hudson Highland Group, Inc. one of the world's
leading professional staffing, retained executive search and talent management
solutions providers. The company employs more than 3,800 professionals serving
clients and candidates in more than 20 countries through its Hudson and
Highland Partners businesses. More information is available at http://www.hudson.com.
SOURCE Hudson
http://www.hudson.com
http://www.hudson-index.com
CONTACT:
Sarah Kafenstok of Hudson, +1-312-795-4202,
sarah.kafenstok@hudson.com; or Emily Reed of Ogilvy Public
Relations, +1-312-397-6056, emily.reed@ogilvypr.com