Research conducted by Winmonkey.co.uk, the newly launched competition website which enables you to play skill based games for cash and prizes has found that office workers spend on average 6 hours per week 'skiving' whilst at work, which over a year works out at 312 hours spent surfing the internet, rather than working.

The survey found that 87% of those surveyed regularly took time out of their working day to surf the web and felt no guilt for not working, averaging 6 hours a week. 23% of those asked admitted to spending between 8 and 10 hours online every week during contracted working hours. This costs UK businesses on average £2,500 for each worker in lost time, which works out at £624,000,000 in lost time paid out as wages.

46% of bosses questioned admitted to turning a blind eye to their workers using the internet for personal use, however 23% of managers stated they had disciplined staff for such an offence, with 7% of them saying they had gone so far as to sack staff who have repeat offended.

The top five ways to while the working day away were: 

• Facebook
• Online shopping
• Instant messaging
• You Tube
• Competition and bingo sites

Unsurprisingly, Facebook came first as people's preferred way to spend valuable time at work, with 87% admitting to using the site to socialise whilst in the office. In second place was online shopping with 73% admitting to shopping instead of working. Instant messaging friends to make plans for the evening or just to gossip was the third most popular distraction in the office with 69%, followed by searching for videos on You Tube with 63% and in fifth place, 56% of people confessed that they spent time entering online competitions and bingo sites in a bid to win prizes or money.

Only 13% of those asked said they never used the internet in work hours for personal use.

Sam Notaro, MD of winmonkey.co.uk said of the results, "We are all guilty of using the internet in work hours but it is surprising how much time is spent online doing other things than what we are paid for. In some case people admitted to a huge 10 hours a week surfing the web instead of working; that's over a day spent in the office not working! Whilst we love people using our site to enter and win our competitions we do urge people to do it in their own time, or at least on their lunch breaks!"