Over 50% Of Companies Fire Workers For E-mail, Net Abuse

[simple_male 1]

Over 50 percent of companies fire workers for e-mail, Net abuse

Nancy Gohring

Thu Feb 28, 4:16 PM ET

San Francisco - Think you can get away with using e-mail and the Internet in violation of company policy? Think again.

A new survey found that more than a quarter of employers have fired workers for misusing e-mail, and one third have fired workers for misusing the Internet on the job. The study, conducted by the American Management Association (AMA) and The ePolicy Institute, surveyed 304 U.S. companies of all sizes.

The vast majority of bosses who fired workers for Internet misuse, 84 percent, said the employee was accessing porn or other inappropriate content. While looking at inappropriate content is an obvious no-no on company time, simply surfing the Web led to a surprising number of firings. As many as 34 percent of managers in the study said they let go of workers for excessive personal use of the Internet, according to the survey.

Among managers who fired workers for e-mail misuse, 64 percent did so because the employee violated company policy and 62 percent said the workers' e-mail contained inappropriate or offensive language. More than a quarter of bosses said they fired workers for excessive personal use of e-mail and 22 percent said their workers were fired for breaching confidentiality rules in e-mail.

Companies are worried about the inappropriate use of the Internet, and so 66 percent of those in the study said they monitor Internet connections. As many as 65 percent of them use software to block inappropriate Web sites. Eighteen percent of the companies block URLs to prevent workers from visiting external blogs.

Companies use different methods to monitor workers' computers, with 45 percent of those participating in the survey tracking content, keystrokes, and time spent at the keyboard. An additional 43 percent store and review computer files. Twelve percent monitor blogs to track content about the company, and 10 percent monitor social-networking sites.

Companies are keen to track employee e-mail and Internet behavior in part due to legal fears. According to research done by the AMA and ePolicy in 2006, 24 percent of companies in the study had e-mail subpoenaed by courts, and another 15 percent have faced lawsuits based on employee e-mails.

The researchers found that even though only two states require companies to notify their workers that they're monitoring them, most tell employees of their monitoring activities. Of the companies that monitor workers in the survey, 83 percent said they tell employees that they are monitoring content, keystrokes, and time spent at the keyboard. As many as 84 percent tell employees that they review computer activity, and 71 percent alert workers that they monitor their e-mails.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

It's understandable. Companies are still adjusting to technological changes such as cell phones in the workplace. My last company would periodically send out emails asking everyone to please set the ringers to vibrate when inside the building. Companies need to balance the need for structure without micromanaging their employees' every move. I think workers were finding other distractions before cell phones and the internet came along.

[HAL 9000 96]

Try working at a Call Center... talk about micromanagement to the T.

OTOH, I do find it amazing how so many folks must have really flexible and/or understanding bosses that they spend their days/nights here in OT. But then honestly, its really none of anyones' business...

[simple_male 1]

It's understandable. Companies are still adjusting to technological changes such as cell phones in the workplace. My last company would periodically send out emails asking everyone to please set the ringers to vibrate when inside the building. Companies need to balance the need for structure without micromanaging their employees' every move. I think workers were finding other distractions before cell phones and the internet came along.

I am sure, those companies warn their employees before letting them go for surfing net. Of course, surfing inappropriate websites is viewed very negatively and can couse for immediate termination.

Edited February 29, 2008 by simple_male

[Alex & Rachel 78]

I'm so very lucky to work in a very small office where we're friendly and relaxed with each other and internet usage isn't monitored!

My boss actually has a webcam at work so that he can speak to his daughter in California, and a co-worker has a not-so-subtle folder of naked ladies on his computer that we all know and tease him about.

I understand the need to monitor net usage in larger work forces for productivity, but in smaller companies the work often ebbs and flows and there are quiet periods when workers would probably go crazy with boredom if they didn't have the internet to browse!

Confidentially issues I can fully appreciate - I also think a lot of companies need to get up to scratch with learning how to encrypt files and choose decent passwords.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Try working at a Call Center... talk about micromanagement to the T.

OTOH, I do find it amazing how so many folks must have really flexible and/or understanding bosses that they spend their days/nights here in OT. But then honestly, its really none of anyones' business...

I don't know with other computer jobs, but with mine, I'm using dual screens and often have to wait for something to process so there is idle time throughout the day. There are times however when the deadlines and workload are more pressing.

Back when I worked in TV, there was a lot more company socializing, long lunches, etc., as long as your work was completed and you met your deadline, nobody was breathing down your neck.

[simple_male 1]

I'm so very lucky to work in a very small office where we're friendly and relaxed with each other and internet usage isn't monitored!

My boss actually has a webcam at work so that he can speak to his daughter in California, and a co-worker has a not-so-subtle folder of naked ladies on his computer that we all know and tease him about.

I understand the need to monitor net usage in larger work forces for productivity, but in smaller companies the work often ebbs and flows and there are quiet periods when workers would probably go crazy with boredom if they didn't have the internet to browse!

Confidentially issues I can fully appreciate - I also think a lot of companies need to get up to scratch with learning how to encrypt files and choose decent passwords.

I think, most bosses don't mind associates' using internet as long as the projects are done in a timely fashion. Surfing inappropriate websites are a big NO to bosses.

[LaL 418]

As I was transitioning to leave my position as a SOX compliance officer, my branch (around 500 people) fired 12 people in one day. Some of which were pretty high ranking in speciality and some of which were on my own team - which made it even more difficult to try and get out of the job

[Kazan' Tiger 1]

Unless you have one that calls you into his office to say, "Look at the cans on this chick."

I think, most bosses don't mind associates' using internet as long as the projects are done in a timely fashion. Surfing inappropriate websites are a big NO to bosses.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Unless you have one that calls you into his office to say, "Look at the cans on this chick."

I think, most bosses don't mind associates' using internet as long as the projects are done in a timely fashion. Surfing inappropriate websites are a big NO to bosses.

LOL....that sounds like some of the supervisors I've worked with.

[Jasman0717 9]

We have to sign a policy stating we will not use county equipment or resources for personal interests. Termination is on solution and rightly so.

[Jaseball 0]

You can run a browser off a U3 usb keychain and Internet off a data plan equipped cell phone, so unless they have a keylogger every aspect of time wasting can be hidden. You can eliminate the key logger by using your own laptop.

From my perspective the higher up the food chain you go in most cases = more 'big picture, high level,' meetings, which really translates to 'no detail.' Meeting after meeting where you have face time with the execs and decision makers means there is no time you have to spend on the internet and feel constantly busy because you are on the phone, traveling, having meetings, etc.

The people stuck doing 'detail,' work are the ones who spend time on the Internet or 'waste,' time, but at the same time if they are doing their job, not doing anything that would cause litigation, and are competent, then who cares?

I would even go so far to say that even under the most severe tracking and monitoring using this as a reason to fire someone is a matter of convenience. Unless asked by management you must have really pissed off the IT people for them to track and report you in the hopes of getting someone fired.

[Ban Hammer 15,133]

You can run a browser off a U3 usb keychain and Internet off a data plan equipped cell phone, so unless they have a keylogger every aspect of time wasting can be hidden. You can eliminate the key logger by using your own laptop.

From my perspective the higher up the food chain you go in most cases = more 'big picture, high level,' meetings, which really translates to 'no detail.' Meeting after meeting where you have face time with the execs and decision makers means there is no time you have to spend on the internet and feel constantly busy because you are on the phone, traveling, having meetings, etc.

The people stuck doing 'detail,' work are the ones who spend time on the Internet or 'waste,' time, but at the same time if they are doing their job, not doing anything that would cause litigation, and are competent, then who cares?

I would even go so far to say that even under the most severe tracking and monitoring using this as a reason to fire someone is a matter of convenience. Unless asked by management you must have really pissed off the IT people for them to track and report you in the hopes of getting someone fired.

but the net nazi's would catch the traffic.

[Reba 2]

We recently had to sign an acknowledgement at work that any and all internet and email use would be monitored by the company, and inappropriate use could result in termination. The internet can only be used during break times, and email is for business purposes only.

I wish they'd tell everyone to turn their cell phones to vibrate only, or disallow them altogether. There are a few folks in the office who get several (personal) calls a day, and they have really annoying ringers Why do you need to keep your cell phone on anyway if there's a land line phone right there on your freakin desk?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I wish they'd tell everyone to turn their cell phones to vibrate only, or disallow them altogether. There are a few folks in the office who get several (personal) calls a day, and they have really annoying ringers Why do you need to keep your cell phone on anyway if there's a land line phone right there on your freakin desk?

Good question. One of my co-workers never would set his to vibrate actually answered his cell phone during a meeting. He was a single father though and I think he explained to the company that he cannot feel the phone when it's on vibrate.

My company recently switched to a phone system that actually runs through our internet connection. It will even display a HUD on our computer screens, showing all the employees and their numbers. One morning, one of my colleagues quietly came over to my computer and pointed at the HUD to show that it displays who is using their office phone line and in this case, it even displayed the phone number they are talking to - a recruiter. That scared the begesus out of me and so I don't use my office phone hardly at all.