WHO? A large number of businesses today use the internet in their daily operations. The internet has provided exponential benefits for business when it comes to almost every aspect. In many ways it allows employees to do their jobs more easily and efficiently. With these new benefits also come new challenges as it also allows employees to participate in other activities, other than their job. This happens daily in businesses and this is known as “Internet Misuse in the Workplace.”
WHAT? Misuse of the internet in the workplace is a very common problem and can vary in its severity of abuse for small to extreme cases. Sometimes employees may not even realize that they are misusing the internet while at work. It may also come down to an ethical or moral decision by an employee to decide whether they should be doing something non-work related or not. It would be easy to categorize pornography as a misuse of the internet while at work. It could be harder to spot though, as it could be as simple as surfing the web, checking personal email or logging into a social networking site. These are all activities that are considered misuse of the internet in the workplace. Many employees view these actions as part of their daily routines at work and they go unrecognized as an issue.
WHEN? & WHERE? Internet misuse takes place daily in almost every business. It takes place any time of the workday and many times, multiple times a day. You would generally picture someone setting at their desk in an office building when you think of internet misuse. However, any employee that carries a smart phone often times also participates in this behavior.
WHY? Internet misuse in the workplace is a problem for many reasons. One of those and probably the most apparent is it can be very costly. For example; a company is paying for its employee’s time. If this time is spent doing personal activities on the internet and not their work, the company is losing money. Misusing the internet in the workplace can cause employees to not be as focused and it can also make the business’ computers more vulnerable to viruses. One way business’ attempt to combat this problem is by having established company policies that directly address the issue. Often times these policies will spell out what is allowed and what is not allowed, as well as explain the disciplinary action that should take place in each scenario. This often times can create some type of conflict as deciding what should and should not be permitted can differ from person to person or firm to firm.
As you can see, the internet provides firms with the added advantages of efficiency and infinite information. The issues discussed should not outweigh these benefits. Firm’s big and small, need to handle these issues with new regulations, be aware of ethical/moral differences as to not create problems with employees and still be able to keep productivity up.
I don't really think it's a problem for workers to use the internet for personal use at the workplace. It's almost the same as someone taking a coffee break or a cigarette break. However, I do see when workers abuse open internet policies.
ReplyDeleteA couple of places that I have work where internet use is an essential part of the job had restricted usage to only websites related to the business. Any other browsing was blocked and especially use of email was not possible.
ReplyDeleteAt my place of employment, there are strict policies outlining what we can and can't do with cell phones and Internet use. Every year, we are required to sign a form stating that we understand, and will comply with, these policies.
ReplyDeleteI see co-workers on the Internet all the time during regular work hours, so I assume it must be a real challenge for management to enforce the rules and maintain control.
There are times when quick access to the Internet and the use of smart phones have proven to be benefial in the workplace. For example, as the tragic events of 9/11 began to unfold, those at work (both in the US and around the world), knew instantly what was occurring at the Twin Towers.
As smart phones, the use of the Internet, and IT in general become more and more a vital part of our everyday lives, we may begin to see a gradual (but still limited) tolerance in the workplace that we haven't seen before. People are passionate about staying connected 24/7, so corporate leaders will need to balance enforcement of company policy with a dose of understanding in this age of high-tech.
Sarah Carpenter