As Cyber Monday approaches, many companies say they will be less strict about their employees shopping online during business hours this year, according to new research.

The survey—developed by Robert Half Technology, an IT staffing firm—asked 1,400 CIOs across the country what their policy is for allowing employees to shop online at work. Only 33 percent said they block access to online shopping sites, compared to 60 percent in 2011.

“Many businesses acknowledge the need for flexibility during the hectic holiday season and allow some online shopping at work, within reason,” John Reed, senior executive director of Robert Half Technology, said in a statement.

If staff members are allowed to chip away at their personal to-do lists at work, Reed added, that could lead to increased worker productivity because it would eliminate some of the time employees spend waiting in traffic or fighting holiday crowds.

Last year, 15 percent of employees used at least an hour of company time to shop online, according to a study conducted by Ipswitch, Inc., and it’s estimated that about half of Cyber Monday spending is done on work computers.

Despite fewer employers blocking online shopping, only 10 percent of surveyed CIOs are willing to give their employees unrestricted access to such sites, the Robert Half study found. The percentage of CIOs who give employees access to online shopping while monitoring for excessive use rose by more than half to 55 percent, up from 23 percent last year.

Does your association allow employees to shop online during business hours? What costs and benefits do you see?

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