Sounds like one of those catch headlines with an article that doesn’t really support the idea? Or maybe something funny to catch people’s attention? Well, in this case, it’s actually true, according to a recent study conducted by the University of Melbourne, which was discussed in a recent article in Wired Magazine.

The study found that those employees who casually surfed the web throughout the day were those who remained the most productive throughout the day. The study found that productivity actually increased by about 10% for those employees that engaged in the practice versus those who did not. The theory behind the findings is that when employees do not have a way to unwind throughout the day, a way to release some of the tension that builds up throughout the workday, productivity diminishes. When employees have a way to release that tension, they can then re-focus on their assignments and are able to return to their prime state of productivity.

It’s interesting that companies spend thousands of dollars installing software to block users’ access to these sites in an attempt to keep employees constantly engaged in the assigned work throughout the day. The result, ironically, means that the quality and quantity of the work is actually decreased. The study’s author, Brent Coker said the following:

“Firms spend millions on software to block their employees from watching videos, using social networking sites or shopping online under the pretence that it costs millions in lost productivity,” said Coker. “That’s not always the case.”

The next time, you may be in a position of influence to try implement company rules to prevent this type of Internet surfing you may want to think twice about the overall consequence of the decision. And if you’re the employee whose company has implemented these rules blocking access to these sites, you may want to find a way to “casually” bring up the findings of the study to your superiors. Although, I don’t see that going over very well.