| Feb 29, 2008 @ 9:29 AM |
Are you being watched? Could you be fired?
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nah12
Posts: 3,973
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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. Over 50 percent of companies fire workers for e-mail, Net abuse
How much time do you honestly spend posting or surfing from work? Do you believe you should be paid to surf the internet for personal use while on company time?
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| Feb 29, 2008 @ 9:40 AM |
Are you being watched? Could you be fired? |
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graywolf
Posts: 44,521
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Interesting topic, will be interesting to see what the reponses are. Prior to retiring it was some of my staff who were responsible for monitoring internet usage and abuse as well as the e-mail traffic.
We did not mind occassional use of e-mail for private use and allowed people to ust the internet on breaks and lunch for personal reasons. We did however monitor the sites visited and resulted in many people being first warned and some even fired for the sites they visited. This was up to an including the CFO of one of the companies so the monitoring was for everyone not just the worker bee's.
I don't think it is apporpriate to play on the computer on comapnay time unless it is specifically okayed by the boss. As a worker we are paid to do a job and what many do not realize is that the company could be held responsible for teh actions people take on their nickle. If you are working and part of a network know that your usuage is being monitored even if you are not aware of it. since the companies I have worked for were heavily monitored by Federal Regulations we would have been fined had we not monitored our usage so closely.
As I said earlier it will be interesting to see how many of those here respond since I know many of them visit this site from work.
Great Subject. 
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| Feb 29, 2008 @ 9:41 AM |
Are you being watched? Could you be fired?
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iam7545
Posts: 4,151
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nah - this should be a blog! 
I remember years ago maybe 1995 - when the only real connection to the internet was probably AOL, a company that I was doing business with had the foresight to have employees sign an agreement regarding on the job internet use. I was there for an appointment one day and they had fired a middle level manager for surfing the net for porn. I had no idea what the internet was then.
So I learned early on how easy it is for employers to monitor internet use.
Yet it seems that many users here are at work and we rarely hear of consequences.
Since I am my own boss maybe I should fire myself! 
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| Feb 29, 2008 @ 9:44 AM |
Are you being watched? Could you be fired? |
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graywolf
Posts: 44,521
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Iam, I don't agree that this should be a blog since it definitly asks a specific question and is asking for discussion rather than just someone stating there opiinion which would certainly be better done as a blog. IMO
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| Feb 29, 2008 @ 9:54 AM |
Are you being watched? Could you be fired?
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iam7545
Posts: 4,151
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gray - I am not saying that this is misplaced, I think that everyone here should read this and they wont read it here in the forums!
It is obvious that internet use on the job is out of control. I think that few here realize the implications.
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| Feb 29, 2008 @ 9:54 AM |
Are you being watched? Could you be fired? |
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nah12
Posts: 3,973
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I agree Gray most don't realize the ramifications that their surfing can have on a business besides how much it adds to the cost of the end product. It would be interesting if the tables were turned and the ones that abuse was the ones responsible would it not?
Oh IAM it is a real issue whether you believe it or not.
Besides even if one is self employed how much more could one get accomplished if time was spent on work issues vs. personal surfing or posting during work hours? 
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| Feb 29, 2008 @ 10:16 AM |
Are you being watched? Could you be fired?
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graywolf
Posts: 44,521
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Iam, I understand what you were saying now and agree that this would make a good blog. I was thinking also that this could be a good topic for discussion but because of where it is might not be seen as many people. Maybe the General forum would be a better place, for the numbers of people who would view it.
I would be surprised if most workers are not aware of a comapny policy, which is what I used, that spelled out the usage and misusage of both the e-mail systems as well as browsing the internet. I know that anywhere I worked it was spelled out very clearly and all employee's were made aware of the policy, in addition we sent out reminders every now and then to keep it fresh in peoples mind.
It really would make a good blog for information purposes, but also makes a good discussion topic, don't you think?
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| Feb 29, 2008 @ 10:23 AM |
Are you being watched? Could you be fired? |
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nah12
Posts: 3,973
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So this topic is not considered a current event? Is it not an issue that is once again in the news? Do you not think this could not be considered politics in some offices as to whom is allowed (or supposedly allowed) more lead way than others?
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| Feb 29, 2008 @ 10:26 AM |
Are you being watched? Could you be fired?
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graywolf
Posts: 44,521
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Nah, not what I meant at all, it is certainly a current event and as such in the right forum. What I was trying to say is that because many people do not visit this forum it would have a much wider audience if it was inthe General thread were most people visit.
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| Feb 29, 2008 @ 10:32 AM |
Are you being watched? Could you be fired? |
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iam7545
Posts: 4,151
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NAH - I agree! I should fire myself for wasting so much time on the net. But then how would we ever have met?
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| Feb 29, 2008 @ 10:36 AM |
Are you being watched? Could you be fired?
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nah12
Posts: 3,973
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Could it be most would not want to discuss this issue in any forum it was placed? That is only a question as is the subject matter.
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| Feb 29, 2008 @ 10:37 AM |
Are you being watched? Could you be fired? |
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graywolf
Posts: 44,521
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okay.
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| Feb 29, 2008 @ 10:38 AM |
Are you being watched? Could you be fired?
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Gallows_Humor
Posts: 13,649
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 .. you mean that it is not part of their job descriptions to send private emails and surf the internet during business hours?
really does anyone need to be told this?? or as I am sure that Nah's intent was to have a discussion to see if there ever is a good reason to allow people private internet time..
my thoughts... a company internet connection is only for company business...and nothing else...end of discussion..so..fire their asses...no ifs ands or buts...
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| Feb 29, 2008 @ 11:13 AM |
Are you being watched? Could you be fired? |
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nah12
Posts: 3,973
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really does anyone need to be told this?? or as I am sure that Nah's intent was to have a discussion to see if there ever is a good reason to allow people private internet time..
It appears to still be an ongoing daily issue or are they not listening or do they not care or do they think the polices don't apply to them ?
Sorry was not my intent.........
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| Feb 29, 2008 @ 12:12 PM |
Are you being watched? Could you be fired?
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yashaenka
Posts: 8,236
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From my experience as a network architect with many multinationals most if not all include within the HR papers you sign and agree too that using a computer for non work related activities; including the internet subjects you to possible disciplinary actions including being terminated.
Of course many try to block X rated sites but that is very labor intensive. Most people do not realize that the interface between a private network and the internet or what is called a firewall keeps a record of sites you have visited. Email servers keep a record of your emails so you and you alone expose yourself....
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| Feb 29, 2008 @ 12:16 PM |
Are you being watched? Could you be fired? |
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kattsmeow
Posts: 22,628
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At least 3 or more people on here are at work when they post on here,,I am waiting for them to come tell us. Maybe I will mail them,,,
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| Feb 29, 2008 @ 12:28 PM |
Are you being watched? Could you be fired?
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Loreli
Posts: 25,401
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We have a "supposedly" die hard NO PERSONAL computer use at work policy.
People send "top 10" lists, jokes of the day, all those "forward this and something good will happen."
If it's on their break and their supervisor doesn't care, if it doesn't interfere with one's contribution to their employer, then... 
If someone is doing this rather than pulling their weight, they should be warned and fired.
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| Feb 29, 2008 @ 1:01 PM |
Are you being watched? Could you be fired? |
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nah12
Posts: 3,973
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I understand most do use it for personal use at work. But if one has a policy that states NO Personal Use then does that not mean NO Personal Use anytime on the company network? Even it is not completely enforced does it still mean one should not follow the rules or expect not be held accountable just because someone else doesn't follow them? Who is to say that the person that only uses it minimal vs the person that never does is not as productive as the non user or not? How does the non user feel? It's when one decides that they can pick which rules apply to them that there becomes an issue is it not?
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| Feb 29, 2008 @ 1:01 PM |
Are you being watched? Could you be fired?
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pamdemonium
Posts: 17,347
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If every person who checked out the internet was fired, there would be no workers in America. Okay...inappropriate sites...gambling, porn, etc., agreed, at work those sites are wrong, but to order a jacket from LL Bean, or post some MD forum threads...? If this is one of the big issues in your job, maybe you need a different job?
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| Feb 29, 2008 @ 1:06 PM |
Are you being watched? Could you be fired? |
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SensualGemini
Posts: 6,889
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...IMO, I am old school and if I agree to work, say for a specific hourly wage, then I give an hour's worth of work, for an hour's pay. I expect no different from employees.
...Typically, company policies are two part with the first defining company time and the second defining what part of the Internet is or is not appropriate. Many do not have an issue with breaks, lunch, or otherwise personal time, but playing on certain sites is a no, no.
...As Nah has stated, some have a total "no personal use" policy and although not enforced, certainly could be if they are searching for reasons to dismiss someone.
...And as Grey mentioned, everything an employee does via the Internet, resides on the company LAN servers, as well as whatever government servers are monitoring and unless connected directly through a backbone personal DNS, at least the ISP server.
...I don't think people realize how much personal information they actually reveal over time with just emails, let alone company information that may be classified.
nah: Besides even if one is self employed how much more could one get accomplished if time was spent on work issues vs. personal surfing or posting during work hours?
...Sometimes, an excessive amount of time is wasted. Even these forums can be addictive and we all know it.
...Wonder if there is an addiction rehab clinic?
Iam: gray - I am not saying that this is misplaced, I think that everyone here should read this and they wont read it here in the forums!
...Personally, I seldom if ever read the blogs... way too many of them to decipher through. So, I would have missed it.
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