| The color drained from Ben's face when he was | | | | one employee, known to be a productive worker |
| handed the report. His hand shook when he picked it | | | | and highly valued for her skills, is allowed to go |
| up and scanned the contents. | | | | shopping on line, another worker is disciplined for it. |
| It was a log of everything he had done on the | | | | If you think that policies applied unfairly or |
| Internet since the beginning of the year -- every | | | | inconsistently are not noticed (and resented) by the |
| website he had visited, every IM conversation he had | | | | workforce, think again. |
| had, every email he had sent out and received -- not | | | | Practices like these translate into low morale, low |
| only by the company mail but those sent from his | | | | productivity, and in extreme cases...lawsuits. |
| Yahoo and Hotmail accounts. | | | | Toward an Alternate Internet Policy |
| Everything he had said and done on the Internet | | | | How, then, can an Alternate Internet Policy be |
| during the last year lay before him, and it wasn't a | | | | developed, one that boosts morale, encourages |
| pretty picture. | | | | productivity and still protects the company from time |
| His boss' face was expressionless. The HR woman | | | | and resource waste, compromise, and exposure to |
| sitting beside him looked grim. | | | | lawsuits? |
| "I'm afraid we are going to have to let you go, Ben," | | | | To develop such a policy, Company Executives need |
| Mr. Donaldson said at length. "You've been wasting | | | | to consider and do the following: |
| company time and resources, and the websites | | | | 1) Implement a consistent surveillance program that |
| you've accessed and the mail you've sent and | | | | uses software capable of recording and logging email |
| received are, well..." | | | | messages, sites and chat rooms visited, time spent |
| Ben's hand shook as he dropped the report on the | | | | on sites, and Internet message and chat room |
| desk top. He nodded spastically, and for a minute he | | | | conversations. |
| thought his head might fall off his shoulders. | | | | 2) Define what "reasonable use" is and what can and |
| As if it had been severed by a guillotine. | | | | can not be tolerated. Are 10 - 15 minutes spent |
| After they escorted Ben out of the building, Sam | | | | checking company and private email, shopping online, |
| Donaldson sighed and looked at the HR Person, Mary | | | | or paying bills ok? Is this to be distinguished from a |
| Tyler. | | | | five hour online video game session which may use |
| "I didn't like that," he said. "Ben Morgan was basically | | | | up considerable bandwidth during times when the |
| a good employee. He was creative and put out a lot | | | | client is uploading data? |
| of good work." | | | | 3) Determine whether email conversations between |
| Mary shrugged and tapped the edge of Ben's file on | | | | friends, or even between clandestine lovers, are as |
| the desktop. "We can't have that kind of thing going | | | | serious and worthy of attention as email sent out to |
| on here. He was accessing gambling sites and his | | | | encourage revolt against the boss, disparage a fellow |
| email messages were questionable." | | | | coworker or divulge private company information. |
| She left the office, making her way through the line | | | | 4) Establish a written policy of Internet, email and |
| of cubicles in which employees now worked more | | | | phone usage. Define disciplinary steps and measures |
| feverishly than ever. Sam Johnson watched her go, | | | | which will modify employee behavior, rather than |
| and decided he didn't like the way the atmosphere of | | | | punish it. |
| the workplace had changed. He didn't like what this | | | | 5) Inform employees of the policy and state plainly |
| kind of employee surveillance had done to morale. | | | | that they are under surveillance. State clearly that |
| The uneasiness he felt was almost palpable. | | | | Company Management is not looking for occasional |
| We're watching you | | | | violators, but serious abusers and define what serious |
| It's no secret that the days of worker privacy have | | | | abuse is. |
| long since passed. With the serious potential of | | | | 6) Be prepared for the Internet addict. The Internet |
| harassment lawsuits and security breaches that | | | | is a seriously addicting environment. For some it is like |
| involve the release of company private information, | | | | placing an alcoholic in front of a cabinet of booze. |
| most companies large and small have implemented | | | | Before firing a productive employee, try to work |
| Internet monitoring spy ware. | | | | with that individual to overcome his/her addiction. |
| A recent Electronic Monitoring & Surveillance | | | | Perhaps removing the Internet from their computer |
| Survey report has revealed that companies are | | | | altogether is the solution. |
| "increasingly putting teeth in technology policies." | | | | 7) For a very small company with a tight budget, |
| Workers have been fired from 26% of the | | | | perhaps having one computer with Internet access |
| companies surveyed for misuse of the Internet, and | | | | and installed surveillance software is the solution. The |
| 25% have terminated employees for misusing e-mail. | | | | computer can be clearly marked with a warning sign |
| As of 2005, fully 76% are monitoring employees' | | | | that Internet usage is monitored. Abuse of the |
| website connections and are blocking inappropriate | | | | Internet is less likely to occur when its usage is public, |
| web URL's. Employers track content, keystrokes, and | | | | and not private at the employee's desk. |
| time spent at the keyboards. e-Mail is under scrutiny | | | | You are probably already saying, "We've already |
| with 55% of those surveyed storing and reviewing | | | | done this." I would, however, like to take this one |
| messages. | | | | step further -- make Internet and email use part of |
| Morale and Big Brother | | | | the employees' Performance Review. |
| But the question becomes, is high surveillance really | | | | The Internet Usage Review |
| counterproductive? What happens to employee | | | | A Performance Review usually covers many different |
| productivity when management decides to tightly | | | | aspects of the employee's performance throughout |
| monitor Internet use and computer resources? | | | | the year and grades her on whether or not she "met |
| The answer to that question appears to be: tight | | | | or exceeded expectations." |
| Internet monitoring as well as punitive use of the | | | | There are certain expectations of how an employee |
| results may have severely deleterious results. | | | | makes use of his or her time, and that usage includes |
| In an April 2003 article on Medzilla.com, a leading | | | | that of the Internet and email. A report in hard copy |
| recruiter for the Medical Profession, Dr. Frank | | | | routinely presented to the employee at Review Time |
| Heasley, was quoted as saying "Excessive monitoring | | | | along with a performance grade of the time spent on |
| of employees' Internet activities is damaging for | | | | the Internet can be effective. |
| morale. It signals that the employer doesn't trust its | | | | Most modern surveillance programs not only log the |
| staff, and it sends the message that the employer | | | | sites visited but the time spent on those sites. An |
| thinks that any activity that cannot be directly | | | | employee can be shown in black and white how |
| attributed to 'work' is simply goofing off." | | | | much time she is spending on sites unrelated to her |
| He goes on to say it is seriously "demotivating and | | | | job. Inappropriate sites visited by the employee will |
| ultimately will stifle creativity and damage | | | | be clearly - and glaringly -- displayed. |
| productivity." | | | | To the employee's surprise, a "meets expectations" |
| Toward Internet Enlightenment... | | | | can be granted to a certain amount of personal |
| Today, employers find themselves caught between | | | | Internet use with little comment by the supervisor. |
| two extreme and opposing points of view. Both are | | | | The Review can proceed to recognizing actual |
| fraught with peril. | | | | contributions and productivity. |
| The first viewpoint involves defining strict policies of | | | | Such an approach is a way to remind the employee |
| Internet and email use, close monitoring, and exacting | | | | that Management is indeed monitoring Internet |
| punitive measures when the policy is violated. The | | | | activity, but is displaying a certain degree of tolerance |
| second is to allow virtually unrestricted use of | | | | of its use. If handled correctly, the Internet can |
| Internet and email resources; a "laid back" approach | | | | come to be regarded as a "perk" or "gift" from |
| that might encourage dangerous employee abuse. | | | | Management. An approach such as this can actually |
| If Dr. Heasley is to be believed, the first is damaging | | | | boost morale. |
| to morale, and could ultimately result in a serious loss | | | | Employees found to be wasting a great deal of time |
| of resources (as employees leave the company in | | | | on unauthorized, band-width sapping activity, visiting |
| protest) and a diminishment of productivity as work | | | | inappropriate sites, or giving out company information |
| slows down because of lack of motivation and | | | | in IM messages or emails should be confronted long |
| unrest. | | | | before the year-end review -- within the first day or |
| The second can produce a "free for all" situation in | | | | two that the activity is noticed. This sort of activity |
| which company privacy can be seriously violated. | | | | would not be tolerated long enough to reach review |
| Somewhere between these two extremes lies an | | | | time. |
| approach that protects company assets but at the | | | | A consistent, fair, and generous Internet policy will |
| same time allows enough freedom for the employee | | | | boost morale and productivity. |
| to feel she is not placed on some sort of "short -- | | | | A Management that is fair, even-handed, and |
| and intellectually strangling -- leash". | | | | generous (within reason) of company resources in |
| One needs a policy that protects the company and | | | | the long run will out-compete its competitors. This |
| creates an intellectually free atmosphere of company | | | | attitude will translate into lower turn-over and higher |
| loyalty, creativity, and high productivity. | | | | productivity. |
| | | | A relatively generous and enlightened Internet and |
| "I kind of feel like, someone is watching me..." | | | | e-mail policy, applied fairly but with caution, will signal |
| Although 80% of all employers surveyed say they | | | | the work force that Management is watching but is |
| notify employees that they are being monitored, it is | | | | still a benevolent and somewhat tolerant "Big |
| not clear how much of a deterrent to private | | | | Brother", or maybe a "Big Uncle". |
| Internet and email use and abuse this truly is. | | | | Clear definition of policies, fair application, and |
| The fact that an employee "intellectually" knows the | | | | generosity will in the short term improve company |
| company is surveying its staff translates into, "Yeah, | | | | morale and productivity. Monitoring that is open and |
| but there are so many employees they'll never notice | | | | above board will create an expectation in the work |
| me, and besides what I'm doing isn't that big a deal." | | | | force that will in and of itself help to prevent abuse |
| The employee will go on personally using the Internet | | | | and protect the company from litigious situations and |
| until the day she suddenly finds herself in her boss' | | | | intellectual property loss. |
| office discovering that her web and email use has | | | | In the long term, this policy will go a long way toward |
| been tracked, and she is about to be escorted off | | | | establishing your company in a top position with its |
| the premises. | | | | competitors because of low employee turnover, high |
| In addition, unfair and inconsistent application of | | | | morale, and top notch productivity. |
| policies and discipline leads to morale problems. While | | | | |