Salary.com Survey: Employees Waste Almost 2 Hours of Every Workday

Cat Herder · Understander of unimportant things

Salary.com Survey: Employees Waste Almost 2 Hours of Every Workday

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

There are several things I'd rather be doing but I can't earn enough to support the family. Big Game Hunter in Africa, Diver, Surfer, etc. I'm sure I'd be much happier at those occupations.

Roper · Senior Bucketkeeper

"I don't want to go to school today."

"What's the matter, Honey?"

"All the kids make fun of me and none of the teachers like me."

"Well, you still have to go. You're the principal."

I would hate being a principal. OTOH, teaching is the perfect job for me. I love my job. And my job (22 little kids) loves me. I spend about 2 hours each day of my personal time on job-related stuff. Which is okay, because when summer comes, I have about two months when I sometimes go days at a time without even thinking about work. Until I read this thread, thank you very much.

lundbaek · Profuse Pontificator

I note a good number of posts seem to come in during normal working hours. However, I think a little time on the job spent reading and thinking and posting about some of the things discussed here can be a healthy R&R diversion from a stressful or boring job.

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

I am thankful to have my job. Lately it's begun to take on that unsure, unstable feel again, which is really what bothers me most about it... that and there's no one to turn to if something breaks that isn't closely related to my tasks, so I more or less have to do everything... which ironically makes me feel like I get nothing done. IN a way, it's really been a blessing to have to do every little thing, but at the same time, it's definitely not my comfort zone.

If I could choose, I'd pick a job where I got a lot of positive feedback all the time for every little thing, no matter how trivial, had perfectly flexible hours where I could come in to work whenever I wanted and leave whenever I wanted, and in which I knew everything or had a good source for learning everything that didn't involve the possibility of me destroying everything in the process of learning... and paid a lot of money...

I'm pretty sure that job doesn't exist, so I remain thankful for my job, despite the constant feel of panic and anxiety I feel pretty much all the time I'm here.

--Ray

Cocobeem · Keeper of the Holy Grail

I have some cookies that just might make you feel better...

salesortonscom · Wise and Revered Master

rayb wrote:

IIf I could choose, I'd pick a job where I got a lot of positive feedback all the time for every little thing, no matter how trivial, ....--Ray

This was the hardest thing for me when I went from college to the fully employed guy in the chosen career. With school there was always that immediate feedback in the form of test, quizes, papers, grades, etc. Most of what I do doesn't have feedback at all or I won't see the results for a long time. In school I almost always felt like I was in control. If I studied for x number of hours I would earn grade y. It was almost like a simple math equation. Time+effort=Grade. So little of life is like that. You think you are doing good when smack, you hit the wall. Or you think you are doing bad and it turns out ok. Or worse no feedback ever happens.

rayb · Hot Air Balloon

The Education system almost has TOO MUCH feedback and hand-holding to really prepare a person for reality in some fields. I don't know about all of them, though. Independent thinking, entrepreneurial spirit, and self-learning is not exactly promoted in most educational models. But at Hogwarts... well... it might keep you from being killed. ;)

--Ray

Roper · Senior Bucketkeeper

rayb wrote:
Independent thinking, entrepreneurial spirit, and self-learning is not exactly promoted in most educational models.

That's changing in a lot of education, though. All of my pedagogy classes emphasized helping children to become critical and independent thinkers, helping them to develop creative problem-solving abilities, and helping them to develop a life-long love of learning. And my certification is K-4.

crazymom5 · Senior Member

Ray, try being a wife and mother, there's hardly any postive feedback for your job performance, especially if you have teenagers!

Don't get me wrong, I LOVE my job, but yeah, I'd like some high fives for a great dinner or for the neatly folded clean clothes every once in a while.

PollyAnna · Senior Bucketkeeper

Well... I would say I waste 7.5 hrs more or less EVERY weekday actually doing my job...

I hope that one of these days I can go back to being the wife and mom (grammi) that makes my life worthwhile... My family IS my gold and silver and I ONLY spend so much wasted time working outside our home because I need the insurance... There are MANY times I think about chucking the security of said insurance and running with the scissors as an unemployed SAHM again...!