The author examines the results of a study of ten
thousand employees conducted by America Online and
Salary.com, which found that the Internet was the most
popular means of wasting time at work. Frauenheim notes
that the extra time spent surfing the Internet is costing
companies an estimated $759 billion a year but also quotes
the senior vice president at Salary.com and a director at
America Online, who argue that employee Internet use
actually increases productivity and creativity in the
workplace. Frauenheim suggests that the increase in personal
Internet use at work might result from a longer average
workday and that use of the Internet has made employees
more efficient, giving them more free time to waste.