Should You Monitor Internet Use at Work?

Ever since the invention of the internet and its subsequent integration into the fabric of society and global economy, in businesses where network security is weak and employees are largely left to their own devices without even a small amount of supervision the potential has existed for those employees to abuse their access to cyberspace.

The temptation is always present, especially in fields of employment where one experiences a lot of down time. Eventually work that is supposed to be completed inevitably falls by the wayside as distractions and other seemingly harmless interruptions take control of the employee's time and focus. Some may go so far as to find reasons to surf the internet rather than finish the report that's supposed to be in by the end of the week.

While this may cause some companies to crack down on internet abuse in the workplace, a line must be drawn in order to ensure the employees don't feel as though they've been unjustifiably restricted. After all, the internet is still a useful resource that helps to facilitate communication between departments, as well as between the company itself and its partners or clients. And research is often conducted online, whether it's research about the competition, the current market, or simply about a new product that the company is going to manufacture.

It's also relatively simple to track down those who abuse the internet at work without having to turn the investigation into a witch hunt; electronic data can be far more useful than a real paper trail. Therefore, implementing a widespread method of policing or otherwise cataloging the internet behavior of your workforce may or may not be the most cost effective way of handling the situation, and if you aren't careful it could easily have legal implications stemming from disgruntled employees. Especially in America, people take their rights very seriously and will be quick to respond if they feel you're infringing upon them.

If you choose to take care of the situation by pinpointing the perpetrators before taking action, also consider if they are, in fact, meeting or exceeding the company's expectations. Do they complete the tasks given them to a satisfactory degree? In such cases it may benefit you both to leave well enough alone, although it's fine to let them know their managers are aware of the time they spend on non-work-related projects.

Restricting use of the internet at work is always a touchy subject, and not everyone (executives, managers, and hourly employees alike) will clearly see the line between monitoring activity for the sake of company productivity, and policing an employee's work time unfairly. Proceed with caution into these troubled waters, and always look for the solution that serves everyone's needs.