If surfing the Web is good, where does that leave checking email? After all, leisurely Web browsing usually goes hand in hand with checking personal emails. But according to the study, checking email, in fact, does not offer the benefits that Web surfing does. This is because checking email demands more attention and is more "cognitively taxing," the researchers said. Also, since workers have no control over the content of the messages they receive, reading and responding to the messages is more mentally taxing than surfing the Web is.

Security Risks Can Be Mitigated

Some small and midsize business (SMB) owners prohibit non-work-related Web surfing because of security concerns. They may worry about employees accessing sites that might offend fellow co-workers or being lured to download malware. However, you shouldn't prevent employees from surfing for these reasons, because you can take steps to make surfing secure.

Besides mitigating security risks by protecting the network with a firewall and antivirus protection, you can put into place effective policies for users to follow. Your company might, for example, prohibit downloads or installations of any kind of third-party software from websites, , or visiting streaming video sites, which can bog down bandwidth.

Employees Need Their Freedom