(Article courtesy of: Chron.com)
In an age of instant access to emails, text, Internet access and social networks, controlling the use of the Internet in the workplace is a matter of common sense. A strong workplace Internet use policy limits a company’s liability and keeps productivity high. At the same time, you need to allow enough access for employees to complete assigned tasks.
Productivity
If you are busy updating social networks, chatting with friends and family, playing games or shopping online, then you are not focused on the work before you. Production suffers without an Internet use policy that prohibits unnecessary surfing. The policy spells out the employer’s expectations from employees. If you fail to abide by the policy, your employer has every right to fire you and find someone who will.
Cost
The cost of Internet misuse takes the form of paying employees for time that was spent on non-work-related activities, the cost of installing and updating protection against viruses and hackers, the cost of providing Internet access and the equipment to use it. Beyond these daily costs are the costs when something does go wrong. If a hacker brings down the system or steals a database of customer credit card numbers, it can take the company months and millions of dollars to fully recover from the attack.
Illegal Activity
Internet access can not only give employees a way to share company secrets with the outside world, it can create an avenue for the outside world to break into company computers and secure private information. Hackers can use email, web surfing and other devices to find a weakness in a company’s security to reek all sorts of havoc. By limiting Internet access to only business related email and Internet usage, a company reduces the risk of cyber-crime compromising client records or stealing company secrets.
Liability
Unauthorized Internet access for the purpose of gambling on the job or surfing website with sexually explicit content can lead to lawsuits that cost the company millions. If a someone walks by and sees you looking at inappropriate websites, the company can be sued for sexual harassment or discrimination for allowing employees access to objectionable content. A workplace policy limiting the use of company assess, such as computer and Internet access, can protect the company from these lawsuits.
If you need assistance with your workplace Internet Use Policy or other Human Resource solutions, give our offices a call at 713-999-1205.
Nicole Bellow, Sr. HR Consultant
Smarter HR Solutions, LLC
nicolebellow@smarterhrsolutions.com
713-999-1205