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37% of Netflix Subscribers Say They Binge-Watch While at Work (netflix.com)

Posted by msmash on from the how-we-work dept.

On-demand video streaming service Netflix has found that more people than ever are watching video outside their homes. About 67% of people now watch movies and TV shows in public, according to an online survey it commissioned of 37,000 adults around the world. The survey also found that about 37% of Netflix's US subscribers binge-watch shows and movies while at work.

63 of 154 comments (clear)

  1. Sounds like... by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

    Sounds like a whole lot of IT departments need to set up some egress filtering...

    --
    Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
    1. Re:Sounds like... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Sounds like a whole lot of IT departments need to mind their own business. They are not there to police other employees but to ensure service stability.

      This is a management issue or employee issue, not an IT issue.

    2. Re:Sounds like... by amalcolm · · Score: 4, Funny

      Ironically I tried to follow the link in the TFA, and guess what .. it's blocked from here

      --
      Time for bed, said Zebedee - boing
    3. Re:Sounds like... by omnichad · · Score: 1

      And catch up on GoT while they're at it?

    4. Re: Sounds like... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

      Found the guy that watches Netflix at work.

    5. Re:Sounds like... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Unlimited cell phone data... problem solved.

    6. Re:Sounds like... by kenjo · · Score: 1

      Does not matter the word wok dose not even exist in the article. and nothing I read indicate that 37% watch at work.

    7. Re:Sounds like... by sqorbit · · Score: 5, Funny

      IT Departments are too busy wasting time on /. to worry about how is watching Netflix.

      --
      Sent from my TARDIS
    8. Re:Sounds like... by TWX · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Sounds like a whole lot of IT departments need to mind their own business. They are not there to police other employees but to ensure service stability.

      This is a management issue or employee issue, not an IT issue.

      When the IT department is tasked with such responsibilities, as it's recognized that only the IT department has the technical capability to do the job properly, it can take two approaches. One approach is to filter, the other approach is to log and report. Given that companies are increasingly turning to fully centralized systems that allow one to drill-down from the Internet connection and DNS to the records of the user logged-in to a computer and the process they're running that has initiated that Internet connection. The company can set internal policies as to what behavior is and isn't acceptable, and then can enforce against employees that violate those policies. A defense by an employee claiming that they weren't stopped from said behavior would probably ring-hollow, if the employee acknowledged that the rules say they're not to use the Internet connection for such purposes then they effectively have no defense to being fired for it.

      So which looks better, a simple egress filter that blocks access to something that the employee shouldn't do while at work, or logging and then punishing for violating the rules?

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    9. Re: Sounds like... by TWX · · Score: 1

      Must be an Alanis Morissette fan.

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    10. Re:Sounds like... by BradleyUffner · · Score: 1

      Sounds like a whole lot of IT departments need to mind their own business. They are not there to police other employees but to ensure service stability.

      This is a management issue or employee issue, not an IT issue.

      If management wants it tracked and reported, it becomes an IT issue.

    11. Re:Sounds like... by DaMattster · · Score: 2

      Sounds like a whole lot of IT departments need to set up some egress filtering...

      It's not a question of egress filtering. I'll bet most of the binge watching is being done on smartphones and tablets using cellular data.

    12. Re:Sounds like... by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      > Sounds like a whole lot of IT departments need to set up some egress filtering...

      Yes. People should not be watching Netflix at work when they should be watching pr0n instead.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    13. Re: Sounds like... by Khyber · · Score: 1

      "Your assuming that watching or listening to Netflix in the background is a problem in the first place."

      You're supposed to be working, period. If you're WATCHING something other than your job and you are not on your legally-required break periods, you aren't doing your fucking job.

      "You have a very limited view of what IT does, I hope you don't work in it."

      Meanwhile, you aren't competent enough to work IT period with your current mindset.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    14. Re: Sounds like... by David_Hart · · Score: 2, Insightful

      "Your assuming that watching or listening to Netflix in the background is a problem in the first place."

      You're supposed to be working, period. If you're WATCHING something other than your job and you are not on your legally-required break periods, you aren't doing your fucking job.

      "You have a very limited view of what IT does, I hope you don't work in it."

      Meanwhile, you aren't competent enough to work IT period with your current mindset.

      Um, no... Some people have a job which requires doing very little a lot of the time with periods of activity. For example, Fire Fighters aren't actively working 100% of the time that they are on the job.

      Yes, I'm sure that a percentage of the binge watchers are simply slacking but you can't paint them all with the same brush unless you know what the actual job is.

    15. Re:Sounds like... by ArhcAngel · · Score: 1

      Cheaper/Easier generally wins but it also tends to create a plethora of other problems. Case in point: The marketing group of the company I work for had a web store on Second Life back when it was still a thing. But of course Information security blocked the entire domain so there was no way to actually get to the store from the company network.

      --
      "A person is smart. People are dumb, panicky dangerous animals and you know it." - K
    16. Re:Sounds like... by E-Rock · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Nope. I don't care if you're watching Netflix, listening to Pandora, or whatever as long as you aren't annoying the people around you and are getting your work done.

    17. Re: Sounds like... by cayenne8 · · Score: 1
      If someone is streaming Netflix or whatever at work, why the fuck would they be stupid and do it ON the work network?

      If you do it and want to evade easy detection, you do it over your phone or table with your own wireless connections....hell, pretty much everyone has limitless plans now, don't they?

      --
      Light travels faster than sound. This is why some people appear bright until you hear them speak.........
    18. Re:Sounds like... by Austerity+Empowers · · Score: 2

      Sounds like a whole lot of IT departments need to set up some egress filtering...

      The amount of time I spent finding ways around (usually successfully) IT firewalls greatly exceeds the amount of time I spend dicking around in more liberated companies. Granted, I'm (as I write this) off task, but less off task.

      Still, watching Netflix at work is a bridge too far. Once you open that particular pandora's box, it gets very hard to contain.

    19. Re: Sounds like... by Metabolife · · Score: 1

      People can't work their entire shift full force without pause until their "legally-required break periods"? It's physically impossible for a prolonged period of time. Trust me, I've tried it.

    20. Re:Sounds like... by Austerity+Empowers · · Score: 1

      So which looks better, a simple egress filter that blocks access to something that the employee shouldn't do while at work, or logging and then punishing for violating the rules?

      Depends on the work environment. In my line of work, there's a lot of hurry up and wait. I'm expected to be in the office, even during the wait. I'm expected to do the hurry up, even when at night or on a weekend. In this environment if the employee is watching Netflix, and he's getting his job done, it's his bosses call. Punish may be the optimal path here, as ultimately much of may pay is in performance bonus and it's so easy to cut that because I was watching Netflix at work.

      If the employee is a shift worker, and is tasked with moving as many widgets from inbox to outbox as possible, then I'd be more inclined to prevent rather than punish. Employees in this environment have (and want) very little investment in the company, and punishment is not terribly motivating, and termination too extreme. In this case, just don't let it happen.

      Now all of the above ignores the load something like Netflix in particular places on a network. That can easily get ridiculous and something may need to be done for purely technical reasons.

    21. Re:Sounds like... by Arzaboa · · Score: 1

      Yes, Work should be like prison. Its a good thing they let us into the yard at night.

      --
      "No woman no cry" - Bob Marley

    22. Re:Sounds like... by CastrTroy · · Score: 1

      The problem is that you can only block so much stuff. People who want to find a way to slack off will find a way. Whether it's Netflix, video games, or social networking. It's best just to have a whitelist of sites that people can visit. There's not really that many sites that most employees need to have access to. Most employees, even if they are on a computer all day need almost zero web access. Just have a few computers in the break room where they can slack off at lunch or at break. Once people get in the habit of slacking off while at their desk, its' a very big time sink and most people won't have the ability to control how much they slack off, especially if they have one of those really boring jobs where they are just moving stuff between boxes on a computer.

      --

      Anthropic principle: We see the universe the way it is because if it were different we would not be here to see it.
    23. Re: Sounds like... by Known+Nutter · · Score: 1

      Woosh!

      --
      Beware of the Leopard.
    24. Re: Sounds like... by Khyber · · Score: 1

      " For example, Fire Fighters aren't actively working 100% of the time that they are on the job."

      Bad example. Hi, former volunteer Memphis Firefighter. When they're not on-call, they're washing the trucks, performing maintenance and clean-up, public service, and MAYBE sleeping or watching TV if they're stationed in-house and there's nothing else to be done (rare.)

      Nice job being clueless, though.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    25. Re: Sounds like... by Khyber · · Score: 1

      "It's physically impossible for a prolonged period of time. Trust me, I've tried it."

      I do it mining every time I go out, days on end. Try getting more actual exercise for your entire body instead of just your fingers.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    26. Re:Sounds like... by Jason+Levine · · Score: 1

      The same is true of (legal) software download sites. My company's web filter blocks them all and that might be a good thing for 95% of employees. However, as an IT professional, I might need something from one of those sites. Then I find that it's blocked and take 10 times as long finding a workaround (non-blocked equivalent software or a way around the block) than I would have taken if I just downloaded the software and fixed the issue.

      --
      My sci-fi novel, Ghost Thief, is now available from Amazon.com.
    27. Re:Sounds like... by Marxist+Hacker+42 · · Score: 1

      Making sure the company bandwidth is not eaten up by streaming *is* insuring service stability.

      --
      SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
    28. Re: Sounds like... by Marxist+Hacker+42 · · Score: 1

      Watching a GPU spit out useless fake currency isn't "mining", regardless of what the hype people tell you

      --
      SJW: a person who perceives an injustice, and while correcting it, commits a greater injustice.
    29. Re:Sounds like... by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      Whoops, careful their partner. They said they were watching at work, not that they were using the company network. How about down nothing nepotistic managements, the mommy and daddy demand they be at work and stay out of trouble and watch the nobodies to make sure they are not stealing, not that they do any actual work. Not to forget simple customer analysis. So the customer is a worker and it is working hours and hence they are accessing it at work via mobile services.

      No factory workers watching netflix, just factory management watching netflix and the IT staff, well, now they know all company secrets and hence they can do what they like as long as they keep managements secrets and the network keeps working.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    30. Re: Sounds like... by LinuxIsGarbage · · Score: 1

      If someone is streaming Netflix or whatever at work, why the fuck would they be stupid and do it ON the work network?

      If you do it and want to evade easy detection, you do it over your phone or table with your own wireless connections....hell, pretty much everyone has limitless plans now, don't they?

      The mobile data service at my work is very slow and congested because everyone is connected to one repeater pointed at the carrier's tower.

      Netflix's offline mode would work.

    31. Re: Sounds like... by AF_Cheddar_Head · · Score: 1

      Try being a firefighter on a military installation. Still using 24hr shifts

      - During the day definitely doing the tasks you mentioned
          --Training
          --Vehicle prep
          -- Equipment maintenance
          -- Public Service

      After 1800, if night training isn't scheduled lots of downtime
          -- Exercising in a in-station gym (I us the term gym loosely)
          -- Studying for a degree
          -- Watching lots of TV, shooting pool and playing cards

      Reference source: 15 years as an active-duty Air Force firefighter

    32. Re: Sounds like... by amalcolm · · Score: 1

      "A state of affairs or an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often wryly amusing as a result"

      --
      Time for bed, said Zebedee - boing
    33. Re:Sounds like... by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

      I'll bet that the business very much cares when their link to the internet gets saturated with streaming media and work can't get done. How do you solve that without filtering or traffic shaping? And who would do such filtering and shaping? IT would.

      So, right back to my first statement.

      --
      Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
    34. Re:Sounds like... by MachineShedFred · · Score: 1

      Why would an IT department care what you do with your own connection?

      Oh, you interpreted my comment as "IT should be the work police" when it was really meant as "IT will get the blame if all the streamers clog the network to the point that actual services suffer"

      Sounds like you forgot that bandwidth isn't infinite, and actually costs money.

      --
      Slashdot still doesnâ(TM)t support Unicode after it was added to the HTML standard in 1997.
    35. Re: Sounds like... by Khyber · · Score: 1

      And you're a fucking moron if you think that's the kind of mining I do. Get off your dumb ass and pick up a pickaxe.

      --
      Still waiting on Serviscope_minor to wake up to fucking reality and realize that Jessica Price isn't going to fuck him.
    36. Re:Sounds like... by david_thornley · · Score: 1

      Whitelisting would almost certainly not be good for my division of the company. There's too many things we might have to look at. It might work for others.

      --
      "When you have eliminated the unacceptable, whatever is left, however improbable, must be the truthiness" - Holmes
    37. Re:Sounds like... by humasyed · · Score: 1

      Iphonex FaceID

  2. At work or while working? by thewolfkin · · Score: 4, Informative

    There's a difference between watching at work and watching while working. In my department (engineering) there's a lot of people who watch netflix at work I'd say there are about 36-40 people in our office space and I'd say a good 15 of them I see watching netflix maybe 10-12 of them binge. But only 2-3 do it while working. Most people here work and then when they're off the clock or on their lunch break they binge a few episodes of Friends or oddly enough lately Full House. I swear to you 1st gen people have the oddest tastes in American television. The third genners are typically watching random netflix anime or the hyper shows but the first gen guys and girls it's Friends and Full House. I'd have thought The office would be showing up all the time but not since last year for whatever reason.

    --
    Just another second banana
    1. Re:At work or while working? by mark-t · · Score: 4, Informative

      When I first read the headline, I was thinking that these people should probably be fired, but you've raised a good point. At the place where I used to work, my supervisor would quite routinely watch Netflix during his lunch break, while eating at his desk, and there was nothing wrong with it.

      The office floor plan there was open, so it's not like he was in a private place where nobody could see what he was doing either.

      --
      File under 'M' for 'Manic ranting'
    2. Re:At work or while working? by TheCastro1689 · · Score: 1

      Do you mean Fuller House? That could be why they watch Full House as well, or they're old enough to have been kids when it was on the first time.

    3. Re:At work or while working? by thewolfkin · · Score: 1

      Nope. a first generation Indian immigrant watching FullHouse. that's why it's so stranger. I understand the ones who watch Friends and the ones who watch The Office it's just this one dude who watches the original Full House. I haven't care enough to ask him but I notice.

      --
      Just another second banana
  3. Television at work by Baron_Yam · · Score: 5, Interesting

    >37% of Netflix's US subscribers binge-watch shows and movies while at work.

    Yep. It happens here all the time - we have a big pipe, and it's paid for even if we max it out. There are people who watch on breaks, on lunch, or if they're in a position that requires them to be physically present waiting for an issue to occur but doesn't offer much opportunity to do other work while waiting (we only have a couple of those positions, so far as I'm aware).

    The company only cares if it affects business so if business apps are affected, IT throttles or blocks as necessary. If users are watching videos when they're supposed to be working, eventually there's a complaint and it's handled by HR (hasn't happened yet, to the best of my knowledge).

  4. Ugh, the prose is torture by jordanjay29 · · Score: 1

    Could they drop a few more references to Netflix shows, please? Maybe creep us out with Frank Underwood/Kevin Spacey or make an Arrested Development pun? I'm not sure I can stomach a normal sentence anymore. /s

    Also, only Netflix would be this concerned with people getting spoiled watching over the shoulders of others.

  5. We're Comuting/Travelling ? by DrYak · · Score: 1

    We're most likely to consume electronic media (though in my case, more frequently e-books than netflix) while in the train on our way to some work-related conference / meeting / etc. (which still somewhat counts as "work"), than when at home with direct access to significant other (leading to much more interesting real-life home activities than consuming some media on some screen).

    --
    "Sufficiently advanced satire is indistinguishable from reality." - [Tips: 1DrYakQDKCQ6y52z6QbnkxHXAocMZJE61o ]
  6. In other news by steveo777 · · Score: 4, Interesting

    37% of Netflix subscribers abruptly cancelled their accounts citing sudden lack of employment.

    I can't watch stuff and do real work, but some years ago I had a crappy job that required no brain power, and I binged (using a USB drive and portable VLC) all sorts of shows and movies. I was a top performer consistently in my department and basically had to spend a lot of time NOT working to keep them from upping the workload on everyone else, who somehow couldn't keep up with their heads down all day.

    --
    This sig isn't original enough, it's time to come up with something witty...
    1. Re:In other news by TWX · · Score: 1

      37% of Netflix subscribers abruptly cancelled their accounts citing sudden lack of employment.

      Having been acquainted with my share of people that fit this model, they're not exactly known for making good decisions, so no, they probably wouldn't cancel their netflix subscriptions if they were rendered unemployed.

      --
      Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
    2. Re:In other news by Snotnose · · Score: 2

      Used to work for a company where it took 40 minutes just to link everything together. They did a study, maxed out everyone's RAM, and got it down to 20 minutes. Netflix wasn't streaming back then so we played flash games.

    3. Re:In other news by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      I can't watch stuff and do real work

      Even you seasoned hard overworking American doesn't do "real work" 100% of the time while they are "at work". Despite your few employee benefits you generally do still get lunch breaks.

    4. Re:In other news by Fetko · · Score: 2

      More free time. Better add Hulu too!

  7. Lots of compiling... by 140Mandak262Jamuna · · Score: 1
    It is all the fault of the build management group. All projects are created with insane dependencies, no hierarchy, completely flat architecture of every source file depends on every header, and just declaring the function prototype triggers insane amount of recompilations ... Just the other day the clean rebuild took as long as it would have taken to watch Chennai Express, BK, Secret Superstar, Bahubali I and Bahubali II

    Well, that is my story and I am sticking to it. https://xkcd.com/303/

    --
    sed -e 's/Chuck Norris/Rajnikant/g' joke > fact
  8. Re:They must have boring jobs by 110010001000 · · Score: 4, Funny

    I am an Uber driver so I binge watch while I drive people around.

  9. Re:They must have boring jobs by TWX · · Score: 1

    Dammit Klaus

    --
    Do not look into laser with remaining eye.
  10. Re:Naturally by JonnyCalcutta · · Score: 1

    Worst troll ever. You should be ashamed.

  11. Re:They must have boring jobs by DickBreath · · Score: 4, Funny

    > What kind of jobs have these people got where you can watch TV series while working?

    The easiest job in the world:

    Donald Trump's Fact Checker.

    --

    I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
  12. Re:Naturally by DickBreath · · Score: 1

    Wouldn't millennials be playing video games at work instead of watching Netflix?

    --

    I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
  13. Of course! by fluffernutter · · Score: 1

    Of course we do! Need a break from Slashdot once in a while!

    --
    Laws are rules for the court, but merely a bottom bar to hit for life. Think beyond laws in your actions always.
  14. Imagine how much more successful people by MikeDataLink · · Score: 1

    could be if they did their jobs instead of fucking off. Nope instead they choose to watch Netflix and dick around and then complain when they get passed by for promotions and raises.

    --
    Mike @ The Geek Pub. Let's Make Stuff!
  15. Be sure not to miss by boudie2 · · Score: 1

    Louis C.K. 2017 playing now on Netflix. From the description: Louis C.K. is ready to get down to business with his latest comedy special. A reminder of what can happen when "you're supposed to be working". Be sure to catch Louis next week at Denny's in Puyallup, Washington.

  16. Most of you have it all wrong by PortHaven · · Score: 1

    Now, first off, I wonder who these folks are, because most of my friends and acquaintances can't do that. Now binge watching Netflix on their hour+ commute to work...sure.

    But everyone talking about infrastructure, is probably missing the fact that most of these folks are probably watching on their own phones. NOT on their work machines.

  17. should of had a tester login! by Joe_Dragon · · Score: 1

    should of had a tester login!

  18. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  19. Video at work by duke_cheetah2003 · · Score: 1

    I hope IT managers and other people in management positions allow this, and not clamp down on videoing while working. I personally love doing this, I mostly pick stuff that I can just listen to and occasionally glance at the video if it calls my attention. It's a great way to make the day go faster, much like listening to music or the radio, which gets a bit old after a while. It's nice to have a larger selection of 'background noise.' that Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Amazon, and all other dole out.

    For my line of work, it doesn't distract from my actual work. I'd hope anyone seeking to curtail this behavior examine every case individually to see if it's truly adversely affecting productivity. Some people can multitask better than others. What might be a total distraction for one person might not be for another person.