I work in a small firm of 7 employees. Every now and then I
need a break from my work, so I surf the internet, check my social media sites,
and of course my email. I am always on the clock when I am working, so technically
my little time spent on the web here and there is on my employer’s time. I have
never really thought much about this freedom that I take advantage of. Is it ethical?
Is my boss watching me? Do I spend too much time on my personal affairs and
lack in my work?
These are all questions that I feel many people should ask
themselves. In my office alone, I have an online shopper, an article junkie,
and someone who watches movies while doing their work. We as an office have
taken our internet liberties to the next level so to speak. So where does it
stop?
I believe that a large part of the issue is that our boss is
not monitoring the situation as many are not. It is completely legal and well
with in an employer’s rights as the owners of the computers and the network. I
wonder if more employees were aware of possibly being monitored, if that would
change their actions. Though there is the possibility that it may not change how
an employee spends there time at all, as they may not feel they are doing
something wrong. I know that I sometimes feel guilty if I am spending too much
time getting distracted from my work, but it is hard to find that happy medium.
The monitoring of internet use by employers is an ongoing
battle of trust and ethics between the employers and employees. It really comes
down to how much time, money, and effort the employers want to invest in monitoring
their employees. It also relies in large part on the employees to not take
their freedom for granted. Next time you are surfing the internet, be aware of
how much time you are using for your personal activities on your boss’ dollar
and how you would feel in their place.
This has been a growing problem in companies as the use of internet and social media sites have been on the rise. It is crazy some of the stories you hear about people getting fired from things they were doing on the internet rather than doing their job they are getting paid for. I think most people do not realize how common it is for companies to be monitoring your internet activity. Employees get into a habit of using the internet more frequently as they become more comfortable at their job. People find it hard sometimes to leave their personal life outside of the work environment and internet use is just another example of this.
ReplyDeleteOlivia Keene
I think as long as you're getting your work done then surfing the internet here and there isn't that much of a problem. If it comes to the point where production is down then I can see a boss monitoring everyone's activity. I also think that maybe some employees should be monitored and others shouldn't be. I think it just depends on the amount of work each employee gets done. Of course, not all employees work at the same pace but if someone is well below their usual production level then they should be evaluated. If it is determined that, that employee is on the internet too much at work, then that employee should be monitored.
ReplyDeleteI believe industry and team/individual performance should be the deciding factor. In a service industry (ex) banking, personal Internet use should not be allowed. I find that more times than not, employees get so caught up on personal surfing that the customer ultimately suffers longer wait periods, less attention and less than acceptable experiences. However, in an office setting where time seems to drag, I do not see as much of a problem as far as impact is concerned. In those situations I would base personal Internet policies solely on performance. If you perform to company standard/expectations, then you earn a little freedom. If not, them you lose the right.
ReplyDeleteI am unsure of how performance could be utilized as a deciding factor. So, for instance, you meet your sales goal for the day/week/whatever and are provided with company time for personal use? I don't find that to be a good reward system. It would create an environment where you do just enough work to meet goals and then your time is put into other endeavors. I do think that employers are going to have to accept that social media is flourishing and will not just go away. Employers can evaluate the use of time individually, as they always have, and if they deem an individual or group is loafing, just address the issue. Employees not focused on their job is not a new phenomena, they just have more intricate ways of wasting time than counting ceiling tiles.
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