We spend more than 14 hours a month, or 40 minutes of our working day, “social not-working”, according to new research¹ from AXA.  Employees use up on average around five and a half days of the working year sending text messages, emailing friends and family, visiting social net-working websites, making personal phone calls, and gossiping, the new study reveals.

Add other activities, such as online shopping, booking holidays and even gambling at their desks to the equation and employees are spending more than 50 minutes every single day on non-work related activities. 

The research comes ahead of the launch of AXA’s My Budget Day (21 November), a national programme designed to encourage all UK adults to commit one hour a month to sorting out their finances.  As UK employees suffer a serious lack of motivation when it comes to spending time addressing their money matters, AXA is asking employers to help their employees kick start the programme by giving them the first hour while they are at work.  The initiative is being supported by the CBI and the UK’s largest union, Unite, and AXA has pledged the hour to its 12,000 UK employees.

AXA’s research shows that just one hour a month spent reviewing your money can improve finances and reduce stress dramatically.  Worryingly one in three people don’t do anything at all whilst the average person spends only 22 minutes per month considering their finances^.

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