For other uses of the term "goldbrick", see Gold brick (disambiguation).
Goldbricking, in today's terms, generally refers to staff who use their work internet access for personal reasons while maintaining the appearance of working. That is also known as cyberslacking, cyberloafing or cyberbludging, and can lead to inefficiency.
Some estimate cyberslacking costs employers $1 billion a year in computer resources [1]. Office workers from the People's Republic of China are considered by some to cyberslack the most internationally [2]. Some employees do two non-work activities at once, a practice known as multishirking. Instances of cyberslacking have increased markedly since broadband Internet connections became commonplace in workplaces. Before that the slow speed of dial-up connections meant that the practice was rarely worthwhile. Many firms employ surveillance software to track employees' Internet activity in an effort to limit liability and improve productivity. [3] Other methods used to reduce cyberslacking include installation of proxy servers to prevent programs from accessing resources like Internet Relay Chat, AOL Instant Messenger, or some online gambling services, strict disciplinary measures for employees found cyberslacking, and carrot and stick measures like providing free or subsidized Internet access for employees outside of working hours.