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MARK AUSTIN THOMAS: Today could be the least productive work day of the entire year. That's no surprise right, who wants to lose that holiday glow? Actually much of the week between Christmas and New Year's is pretty much a bust in terms of productivity. But maybe that's not such a bad thing. Marketplace's Steve Tripoli has the story.

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STEVE TRIPOLI: The evidence is anecdotal but strong. Even folks who show up at the office spend a lot of time on personal stuff this time of year. And especially this week, there aren't many people around to be productive with.

But Purdue University's Richard Feinberg says you have to take the long view.

RICHARD FEINBERG: And maybe, what's happening during the holiday period creates greater satisfaction in employees so that for the rest of the year they're a happy, productive employee.

Happy workers make happy customers, he says.

Productivity expert Jan Jasper says there's another hidden up side to a week like this.

JAN JASPER: Because it is quiet many people think 'Oh, God, I can finally catch up.'

She says folks on vacation this week even sneak into the office to clear up accumulated clutter.

By the way, we're not the only holiday malingerers. The Europeans are pretty good at it. So are the Chinese during their New Year week and Muslims during Ramadan. And Ramadan lasts for a month.

I'm Steve Tripoli for Marketplace.