The largest online shopping holiday of the year falls on Monday because consumers like to shop at their jobs as “a little break from the monotony of the day,” said Riley Dugan, a marketing professor at the University of Dayton.
“Shopping online definitely is the wave of the future — people are getting away from going to the big box stores and shopping, so Cyber Monday is going to continue to grow and I think the sooner that employers can make accommodations for employees it’s only going to help because right now it’s tough to find employees,” said Doug Barry, president of Barry Staff, a Dayton-based employment agency.
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As low unemployment continues to put a strain on finding quality employees, employers are looking for ways to attract and retain loyal workers. The best way to do that, Barry said, is to show that the employer will take care of its employees and has some compassion about the things they care about most — including saving money during major sales.
“Everyone has to come to the realization that people are going to shop online on Cyber Monday, so the sooner you come to that realization, you can set expectations for your employees about when and how much time they can use on Cyber Monday,” he said.
Barry said he knows some of his staff are Cyber Monday shopping today, but as long as they aren’t abusing it, the company will have no issues.
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“I will look at things that catch my interest throughout the day,” said Kerri Voelkel, an office manager at Barry Staff. “I multitask — I can be on the phone and looking at good deals while I’m on the phone … Keep it simple; do it on your breaks on your lunch hour; Don’t spend a lot of time online.”
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