Goldbricking, in today's terms, generally refers to staff who use their work internet access for personal reasons while maintaining the appearance of working, which can lead to inefficiency. The term originates from the confidence trick of applying a gold coating to a brick of worthless metal - while the worker may appear industrious on the surface, in reality they are less valuable. It is also known as cyberslacking, "Buca-ing" cyberloafing or cyberbludging.
Some estimate goldbricking costs employers $1 billion a year in computer resources Some employees do two non-work activities at once, a practice known as multishirking.
Instances of goldbricking have increased markedly since broadband Internet connections became commonplace in workplaces. Before that the slow speed of dial-up connections meant that the practice was rarely worthwhile. Many firms employ surveillance software to track employees' Internet activity in an effort to limit liability and improve productivity. Other methods used to reduce goldbricking include installation of proxy servers to prevent programs from accessing resources like Internet Relay Chat, AOL Instant Messenger, or some online gambling services, strict disciplinary measures for employees found goldbricking, and carrot and stick measures like providing free or subsidized Internet access for employees outside of working hours.
In modern usage, the practice is also known as cyberslacking, cyberloafing or cyberbludging
Some estimate goldbricking costs employers $1 billion a year in computer resources Some employees do two non-work activities at once, a practice known as multishirking.
Instances of goldbricking have increased markedly since broadband Internet connections became commonplace in workplaces. Before that the slow speed of dial-up connections meant that the practice was rarely worthwhile. Many firms employ surveillance software to track employees' Internet activity in an effort to limit liability and improve productivity. Other methods used to reduce goldbricking include installation of proxy servers to prevent programs from accessing resources like Internet Relay Chat, AOL Instant Messenger, or some online gambling services, strict disciplinary measures for employees found goldbricking, and carrot and stick measures like providing free or subsidized Internet access for employees outside of working hours.
In modern usage, the practice is also known as cyberslacking, cyberloafing or cyberbludging
