According the U.S. Labor Department, output per hour in the non-farm business sector––the standard measure of labor productivity––grew at an annual rate above 3.0 percent from 1996 to 2004, well above the 1.5 percent rate our economy experienced between 1973 and 1996 (Cassidy).
Noticing this fantastic performance, many economists, including former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan, posited that substantial information technology investments would continue to lead to rapid growth in productivity (and wages). They suggested there might be a sustained Internet productivity miracle (Cassidy). Unfortunately, however, since 2005 productivity has fallen back to its long term average of 1.5 percent per year, resulting in lower economic growth and stagnating real wages (Cassidy).
This slowdown in labor productivity likely has many causes. Christians contribute to one easily identifiable cause resulting from the technology investment itself: Employees waste a lot of time on devices connected to the Internet. “Sixty-four-percent of employees visit non-work related websites each day” (Conner). Of these, more than 60 percent waste at least an hour per day surfing the Internet on their employers’ dime (Conner). Younger employees are the primary offenders; Gen Xers and Millennials waste about 1.6 hours and 2 hours per day, respectively, on the web (Conner). That’s about 20 to 25 percent of the typical workday! In effect, American workers steal $134 billion per year from their employers in lost effort and wasted time (Melendez).
Christian employees should not be contributing to this economic problem. The Holy Spirit writes with the pen of the Apostle Paul: Slaves, obey in everything those who are your earthly masters, not by way of eye-service, as people pleasers, but with sincerity of heart, fearing the Lord. Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as your reward. You are serving the Lord Christ. For the wrongdoer will be paid back for the wrong he has done, and there is no partiality (Colossians 3:22-25, ESV).
Clearly, we do not have master/slave relationships within our economy. Nevertheless, we can identify a couple of key principles that extend to our employer/employee relationships.
First, employees ought to be obedient to their employers, as long as their desires do not conflict with God’s will (Acts 5:29). This command even applies to the employees of unjust employers (1 Peter 2:18). Paul continues by explaining the manner of employee submission and obedience (Colossians 3:22-23). An employee must not obey only when the boss is looking; rather, he ought to be productive even when the employer isn’t looking over his shoulder. He ought to productively and eagerly engage in his work because ultimately he isn’t working for a mere man; he is working for the Lord Jesus Christ Himself.
Second, how one conducts himself on the job will determine, in part, the outcome of his life. If an employee is faithful to his God and his employer, he will receive his heavenly inheritance (Colossians 3:24). Conversely, if he is not faithful to the Lord and his employer, he will suffer a dire eternal fate (Colossians 3:25).
Despite trillions of dollars of investment in technology infrastructure over the last decade, American employees have not been nearly as productive as economic minds predicted. Labor productivity has slowed, resulting in slower wage growth. Part of the problem stems from this technology investment: Employees waste tremendous amounts of time on devices connected to the Internet. Christians should not act in this way. If you believe your employer and/or Jesus would not approve of your Internet or smart phone usage, you need to stop. Christians need to be obedient to their employers because the outcome of their souls depends on it.
By Clint Opperman, CFA
This article appears in the October 2014 issue of “Think” magazine. To subscribe to “Think,” click on the tab at the top of the page.
Works Cited
Cassidy, John. What Happened to the Internet Productivity Miracle? 1 April 2013. Web. 2 September
2014.
Conner, Cheryl. Who Wastes the Most Time at Work? 7 September 2013. Web. 1 September 2014.
English Standard Version Bible. Wheaton: Crossway-Good News, 2007. Print.
Melendez, Eleazar David. Workers Wasting Time Cost US Employers: $134B In Lost Effort. 27 November
- Web. 2 September 2014.
