FindLaw.com survey finds 50 percent admit personal Web browsing at work

Fess up, workplace goof-offs.

You know who you are. People who write personal email, check Facebook, engage in online dating -- all on COMPANY TIME!

Imagine that.

Well, it turns out half of the more than 1,000 adults, surveyed admitted to doing all of the above and more, be it on company devices or their own, according to a new survey by FindLaw.com, a legal information website.

Not surprising, the behavior is most common among the 18- to 24-year-old digital native set, with 76 percent raising their hands; followed by the 25- to 34-year-old crowd at 67 percent; 35 to 44, 60 percent; 45 to 54, 53 percent; 55 to 64, 34 percent and 65 and older, 19 percent.

Truth be told, the virtue of some of the remaining respondents may be just a little overstated, as the thinking is that they just didn't want to come clean, said Leonard Lee, the FindLaw researcher who conducted the survey on personal web browsing at work.

Personal email topped the list of most popular time-wasters, followed by social media including Facebook and YouTube followed by checking for news -- which you may be doing right now.

(Some might say that this is not so bad, as keeping up with world developments leads to a more informed electorate. Then, there are also chances of coming across viral cat videos, not to mention wasting-time-at-work surveys.)

Next up on the list was online shopping, which could zoom up to first place a week from today, on Cyber Monday, and that will mean a great deal to the likes of Amazon, Target and Walmart, but perhaps not so much to your boss.

The root of such dallying is found not so much in issues of hardship, like lack of time or Internet at home. No, the top excuse was -- boredom and avoiding work, followed by lack of patience, as in "didn't want to wait," followed by a better web connection at work, according to a FindLaw.com email, announcing the survey.

Still, in all fairness, Lee said that no question was posed as to just how much work time -- as in a few minutes on lunch break to the bulk of the day -- was spent chasing down Twitter trending topics or checking up on your fantasy football team. Nor was there a question on how often workers were called on to address work calls or email on their own personal time.

FindLaw's main interest revolves around behaviors that can get you into trouble with your boss.

So, we present you here with the opportunity to avoid work for just a little longer to go check out its employment law section at employment.findlaw.com