£50m per annum. How many people actually in work in the UK? 10 million? That's £5 per year each. 10p per week. So me sloping off to the pub at lunchtime and not coming back costs the country 1p does it?

Here's a quid, I'm off. See you about mid-October.

Since most of the Friday afternoon slackers appear to be those with the largest salaries (think the hedge fund managers with their multi-million pound bonuses going for a long lunch and blowing £20k on a bottle of wine on expenses), I reckon the £50m figure is mainly down to them.

...go fuck themselves?

Have they not thought that the reason some people wind down early on Friday is because the rest of the week has been hectic, stressful and productive?

but that was because I had hit the hours for the week :)

If employers want to catch the slackers disappearing early use a flexi-time clocking system - but don't tell them what normally happens is employees fast find out all the extra time few minutes they have been putting in soon mount up to days off :)

As an employer, I'll subscribe to that software when it can utilize RFID.

Until then, I am forced to hang out in the pub every Friday and catch the miscreants in the act, myself. It's a terrible strain on my liver, but what else can I do?

James posted: "As an employer ... I am forced to hang out in the pub every Friday and catch the miscreants in the act, myself. It's a terrible strain on my liver, but what else can I do?"

Outsource? Where do I apply?

do we save companys by working late all the time?

Simon Reed posted: "Outsource? Where do I apply?"

I think you mean 'Outsauce' ;)