The term originates from the confidence trick of applying a gold coating to a brick of worthless metal—while workers may appear industrious or productive on the surface, in reality they are less valuable.
A 1999 report estimated that in the United States, because human employees sometimes use internet access at work for non-work related activities, $1 billion a year of employers' computer-resource costs did not yield their desired profitability.
Many firms deploy surveillance software to track employees' Internet activity in an effort to limit liability and to improve productivity.
concluded that using the internet for personal use served the same purpose as a coffee break and helped workers concentrate and stay engaged.
[5] Additionally, new research also shows that employees might use cyberloafing to cope with abusive and stressful conditions in the workplace when they perceive that they are being treated unfairly, disrespected, or given unreasonable deadlines.