Computers/Internet
Employee Internet Abuse
Many of today's jobs simply demand the business use of the Internet, and employees have to have access to do their jobs both quickly and effectively. However, there are always some staff members who will abuse their Internet privileges, making it difficult for management and the rest of the staff. To be completely productive and efficient, employees must be guaranteed privacy when they work online, but they also much understand the need for employers to effectively monitor their work, their security, and their productivity.
One aspect of employee Internet abuse that can be extremely costly to a company, but is not often thought about, is sexual harassment claims because of e-mails or Internet content being used inappropriately. One study shows, "According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, the number of sexual harassment claims it processed in 1998 was 48% higher than the number processed in 1992. [...] an increasing number of these cases involved claims of sexual harassment resulting from inappropriate Internet sites or e-mail messages" (Parsons, 2000, p. 58). Thus, while employees must be guaranteed privacy and security, with those guarantees come increased difficulties for management and the corporation itself. However, most companies acknowledge that the benefits of employee Internet usage outweigh the difficulties, and continue to offer Internet access to their employees, who also perceive it as a benefit.
The term abuse also means different things to different people, and so, businesses must define abuse before they accuse their employees of abusing their Internet access. One writer defined abuse this way, "Internet abuse in the workplace is defined as sending or receiving nonwork-related e-mails, accessing nonwork-related Web sites, and subscribing or contributing to nonwork-related Internet discussion groups during work hours while using the company's electronic resources" (Mirchandani & Motwani, 2003). Thus, employees must know what constitutes abuse before they are accused of abuse, and clear guidelines must be established to protect both the employee and the employer. Employee Internet abuse may be becoming more widespread, but employees and the Internet are too intertwined to ban Internet usage from most American businesses.
References
Mirchandani, D., & Motwani, J. (2003). Reducing Internet Abuse in the Workplace. SAM Advanced Management Journal, 68(1), 22+.
Parsons, L.M. (2000). The Internet: Business Tool or Toy? The CPA Journal, 70(11), 58.
