Internet and Email misuse in the workplace

Technical advances over the past decade have meant that accessing the internet has never been more convenient, as well as tempting. The internet has become a resource of huge magnitude and a part of our everyday lives, and well as emails being a key communication tool. Everything seems to be online, from your bank details to your best friend’s baby pictures on Facebook, it seems our entire lives have ‘gone digital’ in this new ‘paperless’ generation.

Whilst employers recognise it brings great advantages to their business, and is often essential when their business is done across various time zones, 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, it should (does) come with a health warning!

The temptation to log-on during work hours is becoming ever more tempting, and to a large majority of employees it is an everyday occurrence which in turn affects their employment and contractual obligations. According to recent studies, *the average employee spends between one and two hours a day using the internet for personal reasons. From performing tasks such as shopping or internet banking to more sinister uses, such as gambling and viewing of pornographic materials, employees are spending increasingly more time on the web.

So how do you monitor your employee’s internet and email behaviour and curb excessive or inappropriate usage? And do the same rules apply to contracted workers? Louise Wood, Managing Director of Prodrill Energy Resource Solutions, gives her advice.

“At Prodrill we recognise that use of technology is an essential part of every day life in business and personally, we allow employees to use the company email systems and access the internet for personal usage during their working day if need be, but we are vigilant that they are not abusing this. Internet and email access at work is a privilege, not a right”, says Louise.

“Vital work hours can be lost through misuse of the internet so to not put restrictions in place would be a mistake. Employees and contractors often use work emails for personal usage, and don't realise that what they receive and send could have an impact on their job should the company observe this.”

Louise gives her top tips on dealing with employee’s internet behaviour:

Internet Access Control Programmes – There are programmes which offer complete web security, web monitoring and internet access control across your company network. Employers can gain internet access control to know what sites employees are viewing and are able to block any sites that are illicit and non-work related. 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 for that company. Employees cannot say that they are not aware of company policy if they have signed their contract.
Warnings - Excessive internet usage needs to be met with warnings; either verbal or written dependant on whether it is an employee’s first warning. If it is inappropriate usage then it is up to the individual employer on how they wish to discipline the employee. In many cases suspension or even dismissal can be an option.
Educate Your Staff – A survey has shown that **28% of office workers surveyed did not know their organisation’s internet policy, which shows that businesses are not educating their staff or setting clear boundaries on acceptable usage. Perhaps hold an internal meeting and regular updates, to all staff or issue an internal communication re-iterating the company policy. Staff can then sign this to say that they are aware of company policy.
Legal Liabilities - Employee misuse can seriously do damage to an employer's reputation. Legal liability can arise including inadvertent formation of contractual conveyance, harassment, defamation, transmission of viruses and transmission of confidential information and trade secrets.
Contractors beware – Contractors may think that as they are not a permanent member of staff, the policies the company upholds that they are contracted through do not apply to them. However, this is not the case. It is common practice for a contractor to comply with all the overarching company policies, as this is part of the confidentiality rule, including internet misuse.

Louise concludes, “Staff and contractors should be aware that when they use a company computer it's not their personal space. When accessing your own e-mail or social networking account, you are forfeiting your right to privacy. More and more employers are becoming stricter on internet misuse, as their businesses could be in jeopardy by an individuals actions. Staff and contractors should know the consequences of their actions should they choose to continue to use the internet during work hours.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors

*Statistic taken from http://www.wisegeek.com

** Survey undertaken by Morse, a business and technology consultancy

Prodrill Energy Resource Solutions:

Prodrill has been a transforming force in the global energy market since 1982. Following 28 trading years in the Oil & Gas industry, Prodrill is the market leader in supplying personnel to the drilling and well engineering sectors. Visit www.prodrill-ers.com

For further information:

Lynsey Shepherd
AVC Creative Ltd
Tel 01224 248007
DD 01224 217345
lshepherd@avcmedia.com

Sarah Bremner
AVC Creative Ltd
Tel 01224 248007
DD 01224 216083
sbremner@avcmedia.com

ISSUED ON BEHALF OF PRODRILL ENERGY RESOURCE SOLUTIONS BY AVC CREATIVE LTD