MONITORING EMPLOYEES ON NETWORKS;UNETHICAL OR GOOD BUSINESS

1. MONITORING EMPLOYEES ON NETWORKS:
UNETHICAL OR GOOD BUSINESS
By,
SINU SAJI
AVINASH M DAS

2. Summary
• Internet has become extremely valuable business tool, but it’s also a huge
distraction for workers on the job. Employees are wasting valuable
business time surfing inappropriate web site.
• Many companies began monitoring their employee’s internet usage
without their knowledge. They cam monitor online search file downloads
and uploads etc. Although it is legal for U.S companies to monitor their
employees at work is such monitoring unethical or is it good business?
• From the business point of view it leads to loss in revenue when
employees use the company resources for personal usage.

3. • Most organizations have placed bans on the private usage of internet
because any non-legal activity or offensive material sent or received using
firm network can be proven adversely for the firm.
• Leak of confidential information or other secrets about the company can
occur due to inappropriate use of internet.
• Some companies ban all personal activities on corporate networks.
Others ban access to specific websites or social sites closely monitor e-
mails or set time limit on internet. For example P&G blocks Netflix and ask
employees limit in usage of Pandora but still allow access to social
networking because employees use them for social campaigns.

4. • Many numbers of firms have fired employees who have stepped out of
bounds. Most of them was because the e-mails contained sensitive,
confidential or embarrassing information.
• many companies believe that companies should write corporate policies in
employee e-mail, social media and web use which include explicit ground
rules that state, by position or level, under what circumstances can
employees use company facilities like e-mail, blogging or web surfing.
• They should also inform employees whether these activities are
monitored and explain why. The rules should be tailored to specific
business needs and organizational cultures.

5. • Should managers monitor employee email and internet usage?
Yes managers should monitor employee email and internet usage,
because a vital part of an organisation the employees have to perform
consistently to ensure the success of the organisation. so it is
important that the employees should not waste much time on non
productive activities and also they also has sensitive information about
the company so the managers need to make sure that they dint get
stolen by others so the managers need to monitor his employees.
• Describe email and web usage policy for a company
The email and web usage policy of the company should be written
according to the type of job and the level of employees. The
employees should not be allowed to browse in entertainment sites
such as YouTube, Netflix etc. as they may lose a lot of time
unknowingly in that. The amount of time the worker spends on non
productive browsing should also be regulated his completion of work
should be evaluated and effective actions should be taken if he is not
meeting his mark. The supervision duty should be given to the
immediate managers.