NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - A new survey says the average worker wastes more than two hours a day at work. This is about twice as much wasted time as their employers expect, according to the survey by Salary.com and America Online.

Come on all you workaday citizens, we can do better! In today's 5 tips we're going to tell you how to become a pro at getting some extra personal time out of your workday without your boss noticing a thing!

These days if you want to grab a little down time, you don't have to leave a coat on the back of your chair or scatter files on your desk to convince your bosses your nose is to the grindstone. Let technology do your dirty work for you.

Do you need to get a head-start on the commute? Put your e-mail on a timer. It's an easy tech fix, according to Marc Saltzman, author of "White Collar Slacker's Handbook." If you're supposed to stay in the office until 5:30 PM, you can simply program your e-mail to deliver a message after you leave. Just click on the option button and program the e-mail to get delivered at 5:20 PM. As long as you keep your e-mail open, you should be in the clear.

Of course if you were supposed to have a report e-mailed by a certain time, and you've already missed the deadline, you can simply change the clock setting on your PC. The time code will get automatically recorded in the e-mail when you send it. And if anyone notices the time discrepancy, you can always blame it on "server" issues.

Some days just getting out of bed can be a chore. So if you want to hit the snooze alarm a few more times, just make sure you have the right background noise when you call in late.

Kargo is a New York based company that sells sounds you can download as background noise like the clink of glasses and muted conversations at a restaurant or a traffic jam.

"The point is to make it appear as if you're in the middle of a busy intersection or a restaurant," says Harry Kargman, the CEO of the company.

You can also download your own sounds, like your mother-in-law's chronic cough, to replay during a conversation. What better way to convince your boss that you need your rest? Right now the service is available on phones from T-Mobile, AT&T, some Nokia phones and Cingular phones.

And don't worry -- if you did make it to work, you can still use the cell phone to your advantage. While you're in a meeting, just press a button on your Trio phone, and you can initiate a ringtone. It just may be the call you've been waiting for.

If you want to take an extra long lunch or perhaps you'd like to run an errand or two, check out the software called Nap 'n Coffee. This program makes it look as if you're computer is in the middle of a complicated task. Click here to check out theWeb site.

When you first install the program to your hard drive, create an official sounding name for it like "current files." If your boss happens to pass by your desk, it will look as if your computer is copying files, installing a program or updating data. Oh, and don't worry about what's on your computer screen. It's just for show.

When sending messages by BlackBerry there are often telltale signs that indicate you're using a mobile device. To make it seem as if you're diligently answering e-mail in your office, just reconfigure the functions.

E-mails from a BlackBerry usually sign off with the phrase "Sent from my BlackBerry Handheld." This is a big give-away.

To get rid of the signature, Saltzman suggests clicking on your desktop icon and selecting Redirector Settings. Choose the general tab and delete the autosignature.

Another giveaway that you're using a BlackBerry, says Saltzman, is the lower case "e" in the subject line. If you're using a regular PC, the subject line reads " RE:" in capital letters. Just change the capitalization and you could be halfway home by now.

These days you don't even need to come up with an alibi. Get someone else to call your boss and tell them why you won't be in the office.

The Alibi and Excuses club is a part of the mobile messaging company Sms.ac. It is free to sign up for the club. But you will pay $.25 cents to receive a message. There are over 4,100 members, according to Greg Wilfahrt of Sms.ac.

If you want to play hooky from work and catch that baseball game, just send a text message to club members. Someone will consult with you and then call your boss with an alibi. Wilfahrt says about 30 percent of the members use the club for business purposes.

"Getting someone to do your dirty work for you is very popular," says Wilfahrt. "This club has really become like a support group for fibbers," he said.

Gerri Willis is a personal finance editor for CNN Business News and the host for Open House. E-mail comments to 5tips@cnn.com.