Cybershopping: Watch out for the boss

CHICAGO, Nov. 28 (UPI) -- Half of U.S. workers will spend time on the job shopping online for Christmas and some could be fired for doing so, a recent CareerBuilder's survey found.

A survey taken Aug. 16 through Sept. 8 that included 4,384 workers and 2,686 employers found 34 percent of that 50 percent indicated they will spend 1 hour or more shopping online during work hours and 16 percent indicated they would spend spend 2 or more hours doing so.

Twenty-two percent of employers indicated they had fired an employee for using the Internet for non-work matters during work hours, Careerbuilder said.

"Most companies assume their employees use some of their break time on the Internet for shopping, checking social networks, and other general browsing, but when it starts adding up workers need to be aware of company policies and any potential consequences," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder.

"With more companies limiting or restricting online activity, e-shopping season is as good a time as any to be mindful of our Internet usage at work," she said.

The survey results included a margin of error of less than 2 percentage points, CareerBuilder said.