A survey from business.com revealed 51% of employees are watching television shows during work hours. 

This number is higher for remote workers at 53%, while nearly half or 42% of onsite workers admit to this behaviour too.

Jenny Folley, founder and chief executive officer at @WORKSPACES, told the Herald Sun many workers that work from home became hooked on streaming services during the pandemic and are continuing to watch up to six episodes of their favourite program at a time.

Folly says 37 per cent of Netflix subscribers admit to watching shows while at work.

“Instead of working at home, people are taking time out to binge on Netflix.” she said.

So is it bad for productivity? Should we be concerned?

Well, 60% of remote workers said watching television at work helps them with their concentration.

However, the same was not true for ‘onsite workers’ with only 35% of them saying it helps them focus.

Overall, concentration is the second-highest reason why remote and onsite workers watch the TV while at work.

The number one reason respondents reported watching TV during work was to pass the time (64%).

​​21% of respondents believe taking a short TV break helps them be more productive when they continue working again.

A study from The Journal of Applied Psychology supports the notion of these "microbreaks" whereby a brief moment of distraction and relaxation helps employees continue to be productive.

"Our study shows that it is in a company’s best interest to give employees autonomy in terms of taking microbreaks when they are needed – it helps employees effectively manage their energy and engage in their work throughout the day.” Sophia Cho, a psychology professor at North Carolina State University and study co-author said.

"And that is ultimately good for both the employer and the employee," said Cho.

So take from that what you will, it seems short TV breaks while working can be beneficial for some workers allowing them to relax for a moment before continuing to work. However, it does rely on you having the willpower to then actually get back to work.