Employee Computer Monitoring: How Much is too Much?

November 8, 2013April 24, 2014 dotcomwomen

With employees using computers as their main tool during working hours, there is a far greater opportunity for them to look at social media, news sites, Skype, personal emails, and things that aren’t a part of their job role. Employers have had to become far more observant about employee Internet usage to ensure they are fulfilling their roles and using technology appropriately.

Office environments will hold all manner of technology from Lenovo laptops to tablets and desktop PCs, all designed to help with the performance of employees and to make their tasks far easier. The working environment needs to remain productive and the regular misuse of the Internet will only hamper this, causing the company to be ineffective.

The Risks

Employees that abuse their Internet privileges are regularly exposing the company to unnecessary risks…

Visiting objectionable sites can be the start of legal action taken against the company as the site visit will be linked directly back to the Internet address of the business
Either intentionally or unintentionally, private company information could be revealed by the employee, most commonly through Social Media
The business network could be exposed to hackers who could gain access to private information and restricted databases

The Process

Employers have the right to monitor staff Internet and computer usage but there are laws and guidelines which means the privacy of the employee is not affected. There are no computer monitoring preventions in place but when the collection, storage and use of personal information is involved, monitoring cannot be routine or excessive.

Employers should be upfront with all members of staff about computer monitoring and why it is needed
An Internet usage policy should be designed and distributed to all employees
Certain sites should be filtered and blocked to prevent employees from gaining access
Regular monitoring will prevent any larger problems from arising and more serious issues can be dealt with quickly
There needs to be a procedure put in place to deal with those that abuse Internet privileges such as an email warning for first offenders followed by a formal discussion, etc.

The Considerations

Employers need to think about every benefit and disadvantage of monitoring employee computer usage. It is an important factor that can either hamper the business or lead to a feeling of mistrust in a close working environment. There are some key considerations before a decision or policy regarding computer use is put in place.