Guidelines and rules need to be formulated to protect employees from being subjected to material that may be inappropriate at work. It is imperative that rules be established before they can be enforced. Therefore, a company should formulate a plan prior to taking disclipinary action. These policies should educate it's users about web-bourne threats and how irresponsible browsing can result in malicious packages being downladed onto a computer and affecting the whole network. A clear distinction between work and personal use should be made while explaining that excessive personal use leads to cyberslacking. This includes, shuning one's work responsibilities because of excessive internet browsing. The policy should then state that action will be taken against any employee that continuously ignores it. Some companies like the one discussed in the following video, have decided to enforce their policy through the use of an automated web-monitoring software. Actions are then taken based upon the reports provided by the software. They're not implemented to spy on the employees, but to verify their trust. While some aren't in favor of the monitoring, which is facilitated by the company IT director, it has proven to boost productivity by 30%. After watching the video clip, how would you feel if your internet use was being monitored on the job?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wLhNwY-enY
I agree that Internet use policies should be set in place before any disciplinary actions are taken against employees. Employees should know what the boundaries are and what is allowed in the work place. If there are no rules in place then what are employees supposed to follow? But I believe that employees should be professional enough to know that they need to get their work done before doing some personal business at work.
ReplyDeleteI do believe that companies do have to establish some guidelines with their employees regarding internet use. As long as the employees know of these policies from the very beginning, I dont believe there should be any problems. And everyone should know proper work etiquette already.
ReplyDeleteHonestly, I like the idea of freedom in the workplace. Some of the most successful and well known companies have the most relaxed business atmosphere's. Take Google for example, people can bring their pets into work. My boyfriend used to work for Cisco (a computer company) and they were allowed to drink beer on the job. I believe having more freedom would create more worker enthusiasm rather than being threatened or scared into doing your work. In the workplace you are expected to do your job, and do it right. If you are not doing your work then you need to be fired for whatever reason, not just for surfing the internet a few minutes out of the day.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there is a need for employers to set rules in the workplace. Some people may feel that too many rules instills an environment of oppression and that may very well be, but one should remember that we are hired and paid a salary to perform a task or function that is beneficial to the company for whom we work. Yes, there are a number of companies that have very relaxed working conditions and policies that are more permissive than the norm, but these companies have generally been built from the ground up with this culture and are often in an industry where creative thinking and innovation of ideas are paramount. For most industries and business, this type of environment would directly clash with the efficiency of operations. If you are fortunate to work in a place that allows personal web usage, remember that it is a privelege and not a right. Do not abuse the opportunity and always keep in mind that you are employed for being productive, not for getting the best deals on Amazon.com.
ReplyDeleteAs I was reading this blog, the first thing that came to mind was the web monitoring software, which you did end up mentioning toward the end. I know some people feel as if the software is an invasion of privacy, but I believe its a good idea. Your on the clock being paid to do a different job than browsing around the internet. If I was the one paying you, I'd be pretty livid that your wasting my time while on the clock so personally I wouldn't mind being monitored. If you want to browse the internet, buy your own computer and do that stuff at home.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing with web monitoring software is that there is always a way around it. Yes it picks out certain words and then relates it to the sites that most people use, but because the internet is constantly updating and adding new sites there is no possible way to stop it all. I know certain sites that you are allowed to play games but it has nothing to do with games or online play in the description or the domain name.
ReplyDelete