Often times, we accept the
technology at face value. However, there
are instances where Internet reporting technology may lead to false accusations. In some businesses, multiple employees may
have access to one computer. This will
definitely present a problem when trying to identify which employee may be
violating the company’s Internet use policy.
Secondly, there are times
when the privacy of an employee’s password is compromised. This could be either due to the employee
failing to properly secure his/her password.
At my previous job, I had no less than 5 passwords, and they had to be
changed periodically. In order to
remember them, I had to write them down.
Of course, I hid them in the bag I carried, but had I lost the bag,
anyone could have gained access to my password.
On key step in assuring you
are accusing the correct employee of violating company policy is to investigate
his/her search history. The article
cited notes that, “People who abuse the Internet usually have a history of
doing so.” In short, an Internet Use Policy
must work in tandem with some sort of Internet reporting technology. Even then, steps must be taken to verify the
employee guilty of abusing the Internet.
http://www.staffmonitoring.com/P32/abuse2.htm
If an employee is misusing the internet, what is stopping them from erasing their history. There are many ways to erase your footprints on the internet. Some of them include erasing your browser history or setting the internet to private. By using these techniques, a normal check would not catch an employee that is misusing the internet. If an employee uses these methods, how will employers find and verify the employee that is misusing the internet?
ReplyDeleteIn my place of work, we have one common computer that 3-4 employees share per day. In order to access the computer we have a four digit code that we type in so the computer recognizes which employee is on the computer at that time. That way, our company can track exactly who is on the internet, which sites they are visiting, and how long they are active on those sites.
ReplyDeleteMany employees misuse the internet in the workplace, but at most jobs I have had it would be almost impossible to trace exactly which employee was doing it. If employers want to monitor internet use, they're going to have to come up with more serious, specific limitations to how employees use computers (passwords, shared computers, clearing browser history). One way that has been effective in many of my past jobs was to block any inappropriate sites, so the employees have no chance of misusing the internet.
ReplyDeleteInternet usage policies also need to reflect the human nature of your employees. I think it's ridiculous to think that your employees can churn on for 8 hours without a break, especially in a repetitive or mentally exhausting job. If an employee takes a quick break to check Facebook, then I think it should be understandable, so long as they maintain productivity. That being said, you can't have people coming to work only to browse Reddit and Facebook. The best internet usage policy to me would be to not have one, but rather requiring employees to maintain productivity standards.
ReplyDeleteCaleb, I agree that it would be unrealistic to believe employees can just act like mindless drones for 8+ hours. Requiring a certain level of productivity would be beneficial, only if productivity can be measured. However, in positions that require quality assurance or customer service, things can get tricky. I do think that, if they are more engaged with their staff, managers can get a feel of who is wasting company by being too consumed with the internet.
DeleteI think that its similar to here at the university, in the library everyone uses a password to get on a shared network and everyone shares the computers. Occasionally the school forces us to change them, I guess for security reasons.
ReplyDeletehowever there is also a threat to personal documents sharing on those computers if they arent saved on your H drive
DeleteIn many places of business, the shared use of a computer is common. Management must be vigilant of internet use. having a login name and password can help employers distinguish internet usage amongst employees. It should be important to notice that recreational internet use should be allowed during breaks or times where it is appropriate. It would seem like a violation of my freedoms if i were restricted from certain websites.
ReplyDeleteI think many places have found this an issue and changed the security system. the library for example, you have to log in with your username and password. It makes it easier for people to keep track of the record and activity.
ReplyDeleteThe act of sharing computers can always be a tricky subject of discussion. Violation of company/work policies are hard to track down in the case of stolen ID/passwords. However, using computers for personal time to catch a break is in no way a "violation", in my opinion. We shouldn't have to erase our internet history at work if we're just browsing Facebook or other socially acceptable website just to avoid being caught. This would definitely delve into violation of basic human rights, in that sense.
ReplyDelete