Employers, "Fully 26% have fired workers for misusing the Internet.

[jody]

Another 25% have terminated employees for e-mail misuse."

The report below is interesting because some DU members may participate during work hours using business resources.

QUOTE
2005 Electronic Monitoring & Surveillance Survey: Many Companies Monitoring, Recording, Videotaping—and Firing—Employees

NEW YORK, May 18, 2005—From computer monitoring and telephone taping to video surveillance and GPS satellite tracking, employers are using policy and technology to manage productivity and protect resources. To motivate employee compliance, companies increasingly are putting teeth in their technology policies. Fully 26% have fired workers for misusing the Internet. Another 25% have terminated employees for e-mail misuse. And 6% have fired employees for misusing office telephones. That's according to the 2005 Electronic Monitoring & Surveillance Survey from American Management Association (AMA) and The ePolicy Institute.

Internet, E-Mail, IM & Blogging:
When it comes to workplace computer use, employers are primarily concerned about inappropriate Web surfing, with 76% monitoring workers' Website connections. Fully 65% of companies use software to block connections to inappropriate Websites—a 27% increase since 2001 when AMA and ePolicy Institute last surveyed electronic monitoring and surveillance policies and procedures in the workplace.

Computer monitoring takes various forms, with 36% of employers tracking content, keystrokes and time spent at the keyboard. Another 50% store and review employees' computer files. Companies also keep an eye on e-mail, with 55% retaining and reviewing messages.

Employers are doing a good job of notifying employees when they are being watched. Of those organizations that engage in monitoring and surveillance activities, fully 80% inform workers that the company is monitoring content, keystrokes and time spent at the keyboard; 82% let employees know the company stores and reviews computer files; 86% alert employees to e-mail monitoring; and 89% notify employees that their Web usage is being tracked.
UNQUOTE

[gollygee]

1. What percentage of that involved porn

and what percentage involved a few non-work related emails between employees?

[mondo joe]

2. Since it isn't in the interest of the company to fire people willy-nilly

logic would suggest that at least most do not fire for a few incidental emails.

[slackmaster]

5. Yes, it would be for viewing sites that some would consider offensive,

Plus abuse of bandwidth, which can affect everyone's productivity and (if your company does business online) product availability.

[slackmaster]

3. I'd bet a pint of Guinness it's 90%+ for porn

And 95% of those were male employees.

[benburch]

7. I'm sure you are right...

but I'll buy you a pint anyway, next time you come through.

[slackmaster]

10. ARRRRRRRRRRRR - Thanks!

[FSogol]

4. When an employer doesn't like someone, they find a reason to fire them.

Misusing company bandwidth is easier to prove than other things.

[hvn_nbr_2]

9. Exactly.

In big companies, "layoffs" serve the same function on a larger scale. Some big companies have regular layoffs now, no matter how the business is doing. You don't have to justify who gets laid off like you have to justify firing someone.

[acmejack]

11. But if you fire them for cause you don't have to pay

those nasty unemployment benefits. The contribution gets so onerous, eats right into that exorbitant CEO remuneration, don't you know?

[FormerDittoHead]

13. You got it - it's used as an excuse...

Who the hell doesn't receive a personal email at work? (I'm talking *ONE* email)

But if the employer is 'out for you' - that's good enough for 'cause'.

[napi21]

6. AS long as they let the employee know what the policy is,

I have no problem with it.

[mzmolly]

8. Thank goodness I'm doing volunteer work,

or I might find myself in trouble for posting so much. ;)

[Dem2theMax]

12. All I have to say is

"LMAO" and I'll leave it at that. :evilgrin: