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Employees spend around a quarter of the working day surfing the internet and using personal email, research shows.

A survey of more than 2,400 people by law firm Peninsula finds workers admit to spending an average of two hours a day using email and the internet for personal reasons.

The poll also discovers that 91 per cent of employees have sent private emails while they were supposed to be working.

In addition, two-thirds per cent of bosses have been forced to discipline staff because of their internet use.

Peter Done, managing director of Peninsula, adds: 'Putting a ban on all personal internet and email usage has been a tactic used by some employers but employees are seemingly ignoring these policies and continuing to use the internet whenever they want.'

He recommends that companies establish clear guidelines over when their workers can use the internet for personal reasons, such as on lunch hours or breaks, and outline what disciplinary action will be taken if these are violated.

A recent survey by recruitment ranking website HireScores.com revealed 34 per cent of workers think their company's internet usage policy is their most disliked rule.

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