EAGAN, Minn. – The Christmas shopping season will soon be in full swing, and apparently many Americans will be doing their shopping without even leaving the office.

Thirty-five percent of Americans admit they shop online while at work, according to a new survey by FindLaw.com, the most popular legal information website.

And it’s not just the pressures of Christmas shopping.  The vast majority of people who let their fingers do the shopping while on company time say they do it year-round and not just at Christmas time.

The biggest reason given for shopping online while on the job is secrecy.  People want to make purchases away from the prying eyes of family members.  Here are the top reasons why people cybershop at work:

• Keep purchases a surprise or secret from other family members   28%
• Not enough time to shop outside of work     24%
• Faster or better Internet connection at work    17%

“People who cybershop while at work risk getting more than a lump of coal in their Christmas stocking,” said Stephanie Rahlfs, an attorney-editor at FindLaw.com. “Shopping online while at work could give employers grounds for disciplining or even terminating employees. Most workplaces have policies restricting employees’ use of the company Internet for personal uses. In addition, even if such policies are not explicitly stated, it’s a safe bet that most employers would frown on employees cybershopping on company time.”

So keep your online shopping to time away from the office.  And when cybershopping from the comfort of your home, beware of potential pitfalls and problems by checking the free FindLaw guide on “Problems With OnLine Shoping”, which is available here: http://consumer.findlaw.com/consumer-transactions/problems-with-online-shopping.html

The FindLaw.com survey was conducted using a demographically balanced survey of 1000 American adults and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 3 percent.

Note to editors: Full survey results and analysis are available upon request.

FindLaw
FindLaw, part of Thomson Reuters, is a leading provider of business development solutions for small law firms. Through its team of legal marketing experts, FindLaw drives the industry by delivering a comprehensive portfolio of proven online and offline marketing solutions designed to connect law firms with targeted prospective clients. FindLaw is also home to the largest online directory of lawyers and FindLaw.com (www.FindLaw.com), the most popular legal website with more than six million people visiting each month for free information about a legal topic, to solve a legal problem or to find a lawyer.

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