Reducing Internet Misuse

"While technology solutions, such as monitoring and filtering software, and Internet usage policies are great deterrents to Internet misuse, the bottom line is that employees will conform to the established organizational culture."

www.internetmisuse.com is a website that has many articles about the different areas associated with internet misuse, from employee internet addiction to finding an internet policy that works well for your particular company. One article that I found particularly interesting was an article called "Create a Positive Organizational Culture to Reduce Internet Misuse". For those of you who have taken Management and Organizational Behavior you will see that many of the things talked about in that class are mentioned in this article. The article discusses employee morale, reward systems, goal setting, and leadership and how all these things can either increase or decrease employee's misuse of the internet. Take a look!

http://www.fosterinstitute.com/articles/intmisuse/pdf/im06_culture.pdf

Advantages and Disadvantages of Monitoring Internet Misuse

When reading the title of this article you are probably thinking: "There are no disadvantages of monitoring internet misuse at work." However, there are surprisingly a few disadvantages that can come out of monitoring employees internet use and we shall take a look at them now as well as some of the advantages.

Advantages:

• Ensure Proper Internet Use
• With monitoring internet use employers can see what their employees are doing and act accordingly.
• Increased Security
• Monitoring can prevent potential malware and spyware hacks that could potentially interrupt business operations.
• Higher Employee Productivity
• Employees that are aware that they are being monitored are less likely to spend time slacking on the job.

Disadvantages:

• Decreased Morale
• Constantly monitoring a loyal employee can lower self-esteem.
• Employees that are actually using the internet for a legitimate purpose may feel as though their boss does not trust them, etc.
• Lowered Productivity
• Behavior studies have shown a correlation between morale and lowered productivity. An employees morale and confidence can directly impact their performance at work which ultimately will impact the organization as well.
• Privacy Issues
• Obviously with an employer monitoring their employee there isn't 100% privacy.
• Employees complain about being watched, but at the same time they are using equipment owned and supplied by the employer so there is some conflict there.

Source:

http://www.helium.com/items/1820669-pros-and-cons-of-monitoring-employees-internet-use?page=2

Can internet misuse actually increase productivity?

While there are some major problems with internet misuse in the workplace, does it actually decrease productivity? "According to the influential University of Melbourne study with Dr. Brent Coker, not only does internet use at work not result in decreased productivity, but, in fact, employees who accessed Facebook periodically throughout the workday actually showed a 9% increase in productivity." However, the decrease in productivity would start if employees started to only use the internet for personal use. Everything should be done in moderation. I personally use the internet for personal use at work. I will put on Netflix on the background while I do work, and I find that I actually end up getting a lot of work done, and I'm entertained while I'm doing it. I think that a little bit of personal use can keep you motivated, and even keep you on task.
Do you think that you can multitask at work and still be productive? How much misuse is too much?




http://www.andrewjensen.net/cellphones-facebook-and-personal-email-affect-productivity-at-work/

Ethics Behind Employee Monitoring

"Internet monitoring in the workplace may put employers and employees at odds because both sides are trying to protect personal interests. Employees want to maintain privacy while employers want to ensure company resources aren't misused."

With the advancement of technology employers can monitor almost every second of time that their employees spend on their computer, both where they are going on the internet and how much time they are spending there. With this ability, many employees have raised many questions as to whether monitoring is really an ethical way to deal with the ongoing problem of internet misuse. Employees often question if monitoring an employee's every move on the internet is even legal. I mean after all every employee has a right to privacy, correct? Many employees have taken their employers to court over this issue of person privacy claiming that internet monitoring is a violation of their 4th amendment right. They claim that the monitoring could be equivalent to an illegal search and seizure of property. 


While employees are screaming privacy, employers are screaming productivity. The two parties must come together to reach an agreement on the issues of misuse and monitoring. Employees must realize the negative impacts of internet misuse and employers must implement policies that are explained and accepted by all employees. 


Source: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/ethical-issues-employer-monitoring-internet-usage-12617.html

Does Internet Use at Work Increase Employee Productivity?

Internet in the Workplace has a negative connotation attached to it. You automatically think negatively when you hear those words. But the question is, could internet use in the workplace actually be a "good" thing? A study performed by Melbourne University states that internet misuse actually increases productivity. "People who do surf the internet for fun at work - within a reasonable limit of less than 20 per cent of their total time in the office - are more productive by about nine per cent than those who don't," said Dr Coker, from the university's Department of Management and Marketing.


This is very interesting considering the reason many companies have internet policies is to prevent a decrease in productivity. The fact that a study has proven otherwise is something that companies need to research. Maybe after some additional research on this subject, new policies can be put into place in order to increase employee productivity. An interesting idea could be to have designated "surf times" where employees are free to surf the internet for a certain amount of time. Another idea could be to have the internet linked to a timer that only allows surfing for that 20% of the time discussed in the study. Not only could these ideas encourage new employees to become interested in the company, but could help the attitude of current ones and create a more enjoyable work environment. 


Has anyone experienced what seems like an increase in productivity because of permitted internet use? Does anyone work at a company where internet browsing permitted for productivity purposes?

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/technology/workplace-web-bludging-good-for-productivity-20090402-9ktm.html#ixzz1qnphgNwq

Signs of Employee Internet Addiction

 Everyone does a little online chatting or shopping at work here and there, so it doesn't strike as much of a problem to some. However, as I mentioned before, employee internet misuse costs a great amount of money in lost productivity every year. So how can you predict if an employee may be misusing the internet while on the job? Well, an Internet addicted employee will also be an Internet abusing employee. Here are a few questions to ask that may alert you to Internet addiction among your co-workers, employees, or even yourself:

Do you or your employees lose track of time when online?

Do you log on to the Internet with every intention of doing work-related research, only to find yourself still surfing hours later, but now for personal material? Does the amount of time you spend online worry you? Or, are you concerned that your employees are losing track of time when they’re online? Granted, everyone may lose track of time once in a while when conducting intensive research; however, if it’s a common occurrence and you can’t recall the information you’ve been viewing online, there may be an Internet addiction problem.

Do you routinely have more personal than work-related e-mail in your e-mail box every day?

Everyone likes to socialize, and e-mail offers the perfect way for employees to socialize without leaving their desks. Unfortunately, it’s easy to let the messages get out of hand. One online poll conducted by vault.com revealed that 51% of employees admit to receiving 1-5 non-work related emails per day, and 17% receive 6-10. Additionally, 7% admit to sending over 20 personal e-mails per day. If you monitor your company’s e-mail activity, you may want to occasionally check who sends what and to where. Those employees who send and receive an unusual amount of personal e-mails may have a problem.

Are you or any of your employees preoccupied with the Internet?

Are you constantly thinking about your most recent online adventure, or do you sit at your desk anxious to log on again? Do you notice employees who continually obsess over the Internet, as if they can’t wait to get online again? Or do you have employees whose conversation topics routinely focus around the Internet and something they saw online?

Do you or your employees become irritated when it’s time to log off or when the Internet is down for the day?

Have you tried to stop your Internet surfing, only to become depressed or angry for no reason? Do you become frustrated when you have to dial up for an Internet connection and can’t get through? If your network is down for a few hours or the entire day, do you or any of your employees become hostile? When an Internet addicted employee can’t get his or her “fix,” it’s very common for emotions such as anger and frustration to surface.

Source:
Be Alert to the Signs of Employee Internet Addiction by Mike Foster

Top 10 blacklisted Websites at Work

Employers are blacklisting or blocking websites to prevent employees from getting on them at work. People are finding ways around blocked websites by using their mobile phones, or setting them up as a wifi hotspot thus bypassing any security measures taken by employers. Due to the use of smartphones, employees are able to access all the want, the wasteful websites without having to worry about punishment from superiors.

Below is a list of 2010’s top 10 blocked websites. It is not shocking that Facebook was the number one at 14.2%. 

But with all these restrictions being put on Internet, do you think employees would be more enticed to use websites such as facebook just because they aren’t allowed?   




http://www.michaelhartzell.com/Blog/bid/58842/The-Top-Ten-Blacklisted-Websites-in-Business-Facebook-1

Twitter at Work

If you're an avid user of twitter while at work and think you're getting away with it, think again. Many of us may think that just clicking the 'x' in the right hand corner of our browsers and clearing the browsing history will have us in the clear from getting caught. Well there's bad news: it doesn't. Anything done on the internet is recorded somewhere in a database that can be retrieved if needed.

Since, 2009 Twitter Inc. has gained over 200 million followers. Twitter is an online social network where users can write out text of up to 140 characters and express themselves over the web. These texts are known as "tweets". On Twitter, you are able to have a public or private account. A public account allows your tweets to be viewed by any and everyone that knows your twitter name. A private account only allows people that follow you to view your tweets. This is when tweeting at work can cause trouble. If you have a public twitter account, you boss can and probably will see your account.

The YouTube video below is of a former employee at California Pizza Kitchen that shared his opinion on the restaurants uniform change publicly. He stated that "black button ups are the lamest sh*t ever!!!" Because of this tweet he was later fired.

Moral of the story: If you're going to misuse the internet at work and get on Twitter, at least make your profile private. :)


Video source:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_TJ-V8wI7Sk#! 

Internet Misuse Come with Large Price tag

As stated earlier, internet misuse in the workplace is becoming more and more of a problem in the workplace. "Employees are using the Web more and more for personal reasons and that is setting U.S. companies back $178 billion annually, a cost of $5,000 per employee, said a study released Tuesday by Websense, Inc." (Peter Saalfield, IDGNS) The company also reported that nearly 50% of all participants of their survey admitted to internet misuse while a the workplace. The survey attributes these growing numbers to fact that internet is not just growing in the workplace, but in our everyday lives as well. 
It is hard to avoid the internet on a daily basis in today's world. This is simply a fact. Not only do more employees get on the internet at work to "kill time", there are also more reasons to go on the internet in general. More and more of people's everyday tasks are being incorporated into the world wide web. "Among workers who reported using the Web for personal reasons the most popular activities were reading the news, checking personal e-mail, online banking, travel and shopping." I personally can testify to this statement. I do so much of my shopping online. I also will be the first to admit how tempting it is when I am at work and some extra time presents itself to surf the internet. There is a tremendous amount of access when it comes to online shopping. 
Surveyed IT managers on average estimated that each employee is using the Internet for personal use for 5.9 hours a week, the survey said. After multiplying these numbers by the average American hourly salary, Websense came up with the figure of $178 billion. It is easy to imagine how this number is reached so easily. Although it is no excuse to abuse the internet while at work, the ease with which one can find whatever they so desire on the internet leads to a vast world of limitless queries and finds, a time-consuming endeavor. However, these numbers don't only affect those companies the employees work for. These numbers must ultimately trickle down to the consumers or clients that seeks goods or services from them. This is something that employees should keep in mind the next time they decide to abuse internet policies.



Works Cited: http://www.infoworld.com/t/applications/internet-misuse-costs-businesses-178-billion-annually-996
Image: http://curiosity-media.discovery.com/mediaItems/4/d/b/4db5cb33e0244/computer-softwareqa2-600x400.jpg.jpg?v=1303759669

Preventing Internet Misuse in the Workplace

According to recent studies, the average employee spends between one and two hours a day using the Internet for personal reasons. So how do you monitor your employees’ Internet and e-mail behavior and curb excessive or inappropriate use? And do the same rules apply to contracted workers? 

 Louise Wood (woman to the right), managing director of Prodrill Energy Resource Solutions, said: “We allow employees to use the company e-mail systems and access the Internet for personal use during their working day if need be, but we are vigilant and they must not abuse this. Internet and e-mail access at work is a privilege, not a right.

Louise’s top tips on curbing employees’ Internet use:

Internet access control programs: They offer complete web security, web monitoring and Internet access control across your company network. Various programmes also allow employers to block downloads and streaming in real-time, enabling them to stop bandwidth hogging.

Contract clause: The majority of employers in this day and age have a clause written into employees’ contracts detailing exactly what type of Internet use is acceptable. Employees cannot say that they are not aware of company policy if they have signed their contract. 

Warnings: Excessive Internet use should be met with a verbal or written warning. If the use has been deemed inappropriate, suspension or even dismissal can be an option.

Educate your staff: A survey has shown that 28% of office workers did not know their company’s Internet policy. This shows that many businesses are not educating their staff or setting clear boundaries on acceptable use. Companies should consider holding internal meetings and issuing regular updates to all staff to reiterate company policy. Staff can then sign this to say they are aware of the rules. 

Legal liabilities: Employee Internet misuse can seriously damage an employer’s reputation. Legal liability can arise from issues including harassment and defamation, and transmission of trade secrets, viruses and confidential information. 

Contractors beware: Contracted staff may think that as they are not a permanent member of staff, a company’s policies do not apply to them. However, this is not the case. It is common practice for a contractor to comply with a company’s policies, including those on Internet misuse. 

 Source:
http://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/Article.aspx/2022971?UserKey=

Your employers could be monitoring you...

Due to society’s growing dependence on the Internet, companies are having a larger issue with keeping their employees focused on their daily tasks. While not all companies have a problem with Internet misuse, it is becoming a hindrance for productive work. Most employees have the right to monitor computers without the employee’s knowledge. Be wary of what you do on the Internet because an employer has the right to check your Facebook to see what you are posting while at work. According to an article by Read Write Web, employers use Facebook and Twitter along with other social networking sites to "make sure that employees don't leak sensitive information on social networks or engage in any behavior that could damage a company's reputation."

Here is an example of an employee abusing internet rights in the workplace and the consequences he faced.

Source

http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/social_sentry_track_employees_across_the_web.php

What Constitutes as Internet Misuse?

Depending on the employer, one may have different answers to this question. However, looking from a general perspective, what is it about the World Wide Web that makes it inappropriate to use while working? Are there certain times of the day that this kind of mis-usage is appropriate? It is difficult to answer these questions because every companies' policies are different, therefore looking from a general perspective is best. Some of the common types of internet misuse are:

• Online shopping
• Online gaming
• Using dating websites
• Browsing pornography
• Checking e-mail not related to work
• Any social networking site (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Skype, etc.)
• Random internet surfing
• Downloading music
• Watching television online

From a personal perspective, I can say that some companies are more lenient with internet usage. If the work pace is slow then moderate, unrelated to work internet use is allowed. If the work pace is busy, most likely internet use is completely prohibited unless  it is work-related. It all depends upon the strictness of the employer. When on a job, one should be focused on the work tasks anyhow and not personal business that should be taken care of outside of the office. Misusing the internet will not only hurt the individual misusing it, but also the company. Internet misuse cuts into company profits and productivity. If employers want to be aware of what their employees are doing  on the internet, monitoring the internet usage is essential.

Image source: 
http://www.google.com/imgres?um=1&hl=en&sa=N&biw=1639&bih=771&tbm=isch&tbnid=D9d9awWm9A6CFM:&imgrefurl=http://www.abc.net.au/technology/articles/2011/02/01/3126586.htm&docid=HyQTGxfeX0VFpM&imgurl=http://www.abc.net.au/reslib/201005/r563424_3423144.jpg&w=840&h=612&ei=dIRNT4TRC5L3ggfYwumaAg&zoom=1&iact=hc&vpx=326&vpy=43&dur=193&hovh=192&hovw=262&tx=170&ty=139&sig=116394187642694269355&page=5&tbnh=140&tbnw=181&start=161&ndsp=44&ved=1t:429,r:27,s:161

Internet Misuse in the Workplace

What exactly is Internet misuse?

Internet misuse is using work access to engage in any personal web behaviors while continuing to appear like you were working.

An Overview

Internet abuse and misuse in the workplace has become an increasing problem in workplaces across the world. Employees are becoming less and less productive due to the amount of time spent on the Internet surfing for information and materials not related to their jobs, which in the end costs companies millions of dollars each year.

In order to show the impact of Internet misuse on companies here are some eye opening statistics from www.staffmonitoring.com:

• “According to a survey by International Data Corp (IDC), 30 to 40% of Internet access is spent on non-work related browsing, and a staggering 60% of all online purchases are made during working hours.”
• “30-40% of lost productivity is accounted for by cyber-slacking.”
• “70% of all Internet porn traffic occurs during the nine-to-five workday.”

We can see from just these few statistics that Internet misuse at work is a serious problem for practically every organization. Our blog will explore the impact of this misuse in depth, solutions that companies are taking to avoid this problem, the drawbacks of those solutions, and many more issues relating to Internet misuse.

Source:

http://www.staffmonitoring.com/P32/stats.htm

Internet Misuse Isn't Uncommon

One doesn't need to go far to find someone who has participated in internet misuse in the workplace. I for one, will be the first to admit that I may have abused the privileges of having Internet capabilities on my computer at my job. Whether checking e-mails, playing online games, or simply surfing the web while at work,employees abuse the Internet on a daily basis. Successful monitoring can be very hard for companies and small firms to accomplish. Most superiors are busy with their own tasks to constantly peer over the shoulders of their employees to ensure they are only using their computer for approved reasons. This is one factor that makes internet misuse in the workplace so easy for employees to partake in.