UK workers blew £25 million last year phoning sex lines, chat lines and TV vote lines from their desks, according to research carried out by BT. A total of 35 million calls were made to premium rate phone lines, costing up to £1.50 a minute, when employees should have been working.
Financial advisors and hotel workers topped the league for rogue callers abusing their employers' trust. Commenting on the research, Craig Rowland, managing director of BT Business, said: "Every hour 15,000 UK workers call a premium rate number from their desk.
This is a graphic illustration of the need for businesses to have greater certainty and control over their phone bills. "For many companies, the amount of premium rate calls can cause an unexpected shock when the phone bill arrives. BT's new Business Plan lets you analyse your call patterns for free, then decide what action to take.
For example, some companies put bars on certain types of calls whilst others find that a warning to their staff can do the trick. Our customers are increasingly telling us they want certainty and simplicity with their phone service." |