The material in today’s Advisor is adapted from BLR’s 10-Minute HR Trainer session, “Appropriate Internet Use.”
The Situation
The Internet is an essential business tool for most organizations today. It not only provides instant access to vital information but it also offers instant communication anywhere in the world at any time of day. Access to the Internet allows employees to carry out important work-related duties.
But the Internet also provides employees access to inappropriate information and opportunities inconsistent with business needs that may be harmful to your organization. Employee abuse of the Internet on the job can:
- Raise critical security issues (e.g., expose networks to viruses, give hackers an easy way in to your computer systems, and allow unauthorized people access to confidential information).
- Make you vulnerable to lawsuits (employers have been sued by employees for sexual harassment when coworkers use the Internet to access pornography, for example).
- Reduce productivity (e.g., when employees spend time on pursuits such as online shopping and banking, trading stocks, checking sports scores, reading online newspapers, gambling).
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The Legal Issues
The Electronic Communications Privacy Act allows you to control employees’ Internet use on computer systems owned and operated by the organization. Courts generally hold that you have a legitimate business interest in maintaining computer security and preventing inappropriate use of computer systems, and this includes Internet use.
Your right to control Internet use should be backed up by a policy that spells out the rules and has been properly communicated to employees. Have your attorneys review your Internet use policy and enforcement programs.
The Internet Use Policy
Your Internet use policy should be in writing and included in your employee handbook. The policy should clearly define and provide examples of appropriate and inappropriate Internet use in the workplace. If you decide to use filtering software to block certain websites, inform employees.
Be sure to state in your policy that computer systems, including all tools and information accessed from the organization’s systems, are the organization’s property and that employees should have no expectation of privacy when using the organization’s computer systems. Your policy statement should also warn employees that if they violate the rules, they will be subject to discipline up to and including termination, as well as possible legal action.
Your policy must be supported by formal employee training in computer system use rules (including during orientation of new employees) and by regular reminders about the rules.
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The Enforcement
Having a policy is not enough; you must also enforce the policy and discipline offenders. Many organizations use software and other tools to monitor Internet use and enforce rules. Monitoring software can provide lists of websites and even give you the ability to search an employee’s Internet file by keywords (e.g., sexually explicit or gambling-related words).
Some organizations monitor all employee computer use, while others monitor randomly. Some only monitor if there is an indication that an employee might be abusing the system.
Whichever approach you choose, let workers know that they are being (or may be) monitored.
In tomorrow’s Advisor, we’ll go over how to achieve a balanced approach to Internet use on the job—plus look at an exciting way to train employees on critical HR topics in 10 minutes flat.