Workplace Internet Use: It's About Much More Than Employee Productivity
Www.law.com asks, "what are the risks for employers in instances where employees use company computers to access...illegal activities?" Due to new shifts and changes in the legal landscape, workplace Internet use has become more than just an issue of employee productivity, it has become an issue of liability.
Certainly the influence of the Internet on employee productivity would seem to be enough to trouble employers and managers. Inappropriate workplace Internet use is so widespread on the job that it costs the average employer about $6,000 per year, per employee.
But when you add liability to the mix, you can be losing millions of dollars due to negligence. There's sexual harassment to consider, especially when employees access pornographic materials from company owned computers, and now, a recent ruling that extends company liability to third parties.
In New Jersey, a woman is suing her ex-husband's company because he had posted pornographic photos of her 10-year-old daughter from a company computer. Because the company didn't do enough to stop it, they are vulnerable to a negligence lawsuit with potentially devastating ramifications.
This is one more reason why smart employers and managers rely on computer monitoring software. Computer monitoring software, combined with designated "free times" for employee Internet use, have been found to boost employee productivity without lowering morale.
Awareness Tech's WebWatcher is one of the most highly rated computer monitoring software systems, and allows everything from website blocking to website recording, including email recording and chat recording. Best of all, it can be monitored in real time from a remote location, meaning that the boss doesn't have to actually stand over anyone's shoulder to enforce and maintain integrity and productivity on the job.
Certainly the influence of the Internet on employee productivity would seem to be enough to trouble employers and managers. Inappropriate workplace Internet use is so widespread on the job that it costs the average employer about $6,000 per year, per employee.
But when you add liability to the mix, you can be losing millions of dollars due to negligence. There's sexual harassment to consider, especially when employees access pornographic materials from company owned computers, and now, a recent ruling that extends company liability to third parties.
In New Jersey, a woman is suing her ex-husband's company because he had posted pornographic photos of her 10-year-old daughter from a company computer. Because the company didn't do enough to stop it, they are vulnerable to a negligence lawsuit with potentially devastating ramifications.
This is one more reason why smart employers and managers rely on computer monitoring software. Computer monitoring software, combined with designated "free times" for employee Internet use, have been found to boost employee productivity without lowering morale.
Awareness Tech's WebWatcher is one of the most highly rated computer monitoring software systems, and allows everything from website blocking to website recording, including email recording and chat recording. Best of all, it can be monitored in real time from a remote location, meaning that the boss doesn't have to actually stand over anyone's shoulder to enforce and maintain integrity and productivity on the job.
Links to this post