Internet Usage

Ways To Minimize Employee Internet Usage

If you own a company and you have employees working for you, probably one of your concerns is your employee’s internet usage. It is an undeniable fact that computers are indispensable devices for any type of business. Also, internet connection plays a very important role in enhancing and expanding the business. However, some problems arise when the employee internet usage of a company becomes out of control.

According to surveys conducted among businesses, employees use the Internet for their personal advantage but Internet usage is done during office hours. In fact, a study on employee internet usage found that 25% of employees use the Internet for their own personal gain during office hours for about ten minutes or more everyday and about 13% use the Internet for personal reasons for about two hours every day.

Some employees get so caught up with surfing the internet for their personal use that most of their office works are neglected or deliberately put off. The most common reasons for internet usage are checking and sending personal e-mail messages, visiting chat rooms, shopping online, checking stock quotes, reading celebrity news, watching movie trailers, listening to music, etc.

Another major problem caused by employee internet use is the threat of unsafe internet usage. The risk of acquiring different kinds of viruses, spy ware, malware and other threats to the computer system is also doubled due to frequent internet usage. Therefore, it is important to take considerable action with regards regulating your employees’ internet usage.

An effective way to minimize internet usage in your company or workplace is to set a strict policy on its use. The Information Systems Audit and Control Association released the following guidelines which you can adapt to your own company’s policy to minimize employee internet usage in the workplace:

• Be specific with your guidelines about monitoring internet usage in the workplace.
• Provide clear reasons why such guidelines are being implemented.
• Include in the policy a reminder that the company has the right to all computer systems, files, emails, etc. and that the company has the right to impose rules and regulations.
• State which forms of communication are prohibited in the workplace such as chat rooms, instant messengers, etc.
• Define the websites that restricted and prohibited in the workplace.
• If you’re going to use a monitoring system, make sure that everyone in the company knows about the particular monitoring system that will be implemented.
• State and clearly define the consequences involved for violating any part of the policy provided.
• It is also important to document the company policy on internet usage.

Another great way of minimizing employee internet usage is using web filter software. Through web filtering software, you can control and monitor the internet usage of all your employees. You can set limits with the websites they’re allowed to visit and the programs in the computer which they are allowed to use or open. The important thing is that the employees are reminded about their responsibilities to the company and that they realize that all of their actions have consequences.

Internet Usage