Working on a project in bits and pieces may not appeal to many people, although it's probably a smart course of action.

By breaking the task into chunks, you're able to take your time and make revisions. However, sometimes the lure of fantasy football, checking out Web sites for the latest news or just staring off into space often proves too irresistible to overcome.

This tendency to procrastinate can cost companies a lot of salaried cash.

According to a survey during the summer by America Online and Salary.com, workers waste almost two hours a day out of an eight-hour shift. That's about $544 billion in salary in the United States each year for nonproductive activities.

Companies have been working to crack down on this costly behavior, with some restricting or monitoring Web and phone usage. If you're wasting too much time on these devices, you will get caught, said Paul Sanchez, global director of employee research for Mercer Human Resource Consulting.

"It may not be apparent, but sooner or later it will show up," he said.

However, giving your brain a rest shouldn't necessarily be considered unproductive. Taking small breaks is often advised, said Troy Thompson, a psychiatrist at the Delaware Psychiatric Center. Stepping away from a situation gives you the opportunity to look at it with a fresh perspective.

"It allows the mind to reshuffle the deck," he said.

There's a difference between taking a break and procrastinating, he said. If you're completing your work in a timely fashion and producing a quality product, but step away from your desk occasionally to clear your head, then you're probably not procrastinating. If you hold everybody up because you're late with an assignment, you're always rushing to complete things or you engage in frivolous activities to avoid doing your work, you probably are a procrastinator, he said.

Putting off work won't help you advance in the workplace, Sanchez said. A lot of businesses are using a team approach to tasks, and if you're not carrying your weight, your co-workers won't want to work with you. They'll resent that you're taking advantage of them and getting paid the same salary, he said.

Sanchez said the team will first try to fix the problem internally and then if that doesn't work, they'll tell management about the situation. That spells trouble for you.

"If a person underperforms, you won't be paid well, get expanded opportunities for training and get promoted," he said.

To try to correct your procrastinating ways, you first have to identify why you're wasting time, Thompson said. Something has to be causing your anxiety.

The answer could simply be you don't know how to do something, and you should ask for help from the get-go.

Companies, too, can play a more active role in tackling slacking off, Sanchez said. Giving employees a clear idea of their jobs and what's expected of them is a good start, he said.