Your time is now my time.

• Position: YOUR LIFE - Survey on the use of time - Brief article

"Where does the day go?" many workers lament, which might explain why those polled in a survey by OfficeTeam--a Menlo Park, Calif.-based staffing service specializing in the placement of skilled professionals--say they spend an average of 36 minutes per day, or the equivalent of three hours a week, attending to personal tasks at the office. Executives were asked the same question, and they estimate their staff members spend an average of 43 minutes each day on nonwork activities.

"There are only so many hours in the day to meet job requirements and personal obligations, and employers are aware that not all of the work day is spent on business," notes Diane Domeyer, executive director of OfficeTeam. "In fact, some businesses have responded by providing staff with on-site day care or concierge-type services such as dry cleaning and personal shopping"

However, Domeyer points out that misuse of company time can lead to significant losses in productivity...