surfing the internet

[smokey1]

I am older then most on here and just never have caught on to using the internet much for anything but research. It seems to take so long before you find what you are really looking for or get off on another site unrelated to what you are looking for (I hate wasting time). What I am getting at is when do you guys find time to do all your posting or web surfing? The real estate company my daughter works for has security measures in the work place that compiles a database of websites visited and time spent on the site. My daughter says she heard of this after she used her work computer for some form of entertainment ('entertainment' is all I could get out of her), I can only assume the company sees this as a waste of time, resources, etc....
Should she be concerned? I assume this is not an invasion of privacy since it is at her work computer? Has anyone else heard of these 'sniffer programs'? What advice should I give her about it? To me, it is time to confess and hope you do not lose your job. I told her that there is no way she can be given 100% at work if she is 'surfing the internet'. Jobs are not a dime a dozen anymore, I hope she can learn that. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks a ton
Smokey1

 

[Doc Manhattan]

Legally, yes, a workplace can monitor what goes in and out of an internet connection they provide. How closely they monitor it really depends on the business. But it's safe to say that anything not work-related could get you in trouble.

As a former sysadmin for an office of 40-some people, I can tell you that the primary issue isn't someone wasting five minutes reading Hollywood gossip; it's the virus or malware that the system gets when the worker accidentally clicks on something fishy. That wastes two people's afternoons: the worker who's lost her computer and the guy who has to fix it.

At the same time, the internet is replacing or supplementing many technologies that are normal for an office--music, productivity apps, research resources, etc. If your daughter's job requires a good deal of at-the-desk time (real estate certainly might), I think it's better to ask outright if X, Y, or Z is allowed, rather than try to explain it after the fact.

 

[PipeLeisure]

My work " locks out" a lot of web sites

 

[forsooth]

Here's my feedback:

1. Shame on the company for not explaining its internet use policy upfront to her.

2. Now that she knows about it, work according to her understanding of the policy.

That's about all she can do. If she finds the climate too restrictive or oppresive, she probably would be happier (and more productive) to move on when another opportunity presents itself. (But don't look for another job on the internet at work! )

Best wishes to her and you, as it sounds like she looks to you for guidance.

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

I wouldn't worry about it. I doubt your daughter will even be spoken to about her internet use. I currently work for a 40k+ personal company and our internet policy is concerned mostly with bandwidth (so they block any streaming media) and viruses (so we can't download anything). They do also block inappropriate content (they block Sports Illustrated as a "lingerie and swimwear site, but allow Victoria's Secret because its "e-commerce"). Beyond that we are given a lot of leeway. Though I have a billable hour requirement rather than a 40 hour work week, so the time I waste truly is my own not my company's.

Prior to taking this job I worked at a small firm (so small that I doubled as the IT guy) and we did have a problem with people wasting time on the internet. It got to the point where we had to establish written protocol for internet use during the work day and finally resort to installing internet monitoring software (which is significant expense). Ultimately we fired one secretary after we saw that on several occasions she spent the entire day on facebook. We later learned that she was also sending nude pictures of herself through our email system - which caused certain other problems for us. The funny part of the story is that after she was fired she applied for unemployment and we opposed her application because she was fired for cause. Ultimately the judge awarded her benefits because we didn't have a written policy that stated one could not send nude pictures from work and because we didn't warn her that spending the entire day on facebook and neglecting her work responsibilities would result in termination (we had addressed it only from a productivity perspective).

 

[forsooth]

Ultimately the judge awarded her benefits because we didn't have a written policy that stated one could not send nude pictures from work and because we didn't warn her that spending the entire day on facebook and neglecting her work responsibilities would result in termination (we had addressed it only from a productivity perspective).

The judge did WHAT?? Un-blanking-believable!

 

[tiltjlp]

Times sure have changed. Once upon a time it was simple common knowledge that the reason you got a job was to work and earn a wage. Now it seems some people think of businesses as paid baby sitters for overgrown children. It's wrong that any company should need a written policy stating that the workplace is for work and not play.

 

[mark]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RvNS7JfcMM

 

[Dutch]

We later learned that she was also sending nude pictures of herself through our email system - which caused certain other problems for us. The funny part of the story is that after she was fired she applied for unemployment and we opposed her application because she was fired for cause. Ultimately the judge awarded her benefits because we didn't have a written policy that stated one could not send nude pictures from work and because we didn't warn her that spending the entire day on facebook and neglecting her work responsibilities would result in termination (we had addressed it only from a productivity perspective).

I'm assuming from the storyline her nude pics weren't very flattering... :affraid:

 

[Doc Manhattan]

I'm assuming from the storyline her nude pics weren't very flattering... :affraid:

Or that she had the judge's email address! :twisted:

 

[Dutch]

I'm assuming from the storyline her nude pics weren't very flattering... :affraid:

Or that she had the judge's email address! :twisted:

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

Nope not something you'd want to see. To his credit the judge didn't ask to see them (we did provide everything on CD) He just asked if there was a written policy regarding using work computers these sort of personal photographs. When we said no, the issue was closed.

 

[Milan]

Only come clean when confronted. If confronted... own it and hope for the best. Otherwise, tell her to stop using her work computer for personal use.

 

[deepbass9]

Times sure have changed. Once upon a time it was simple common knowledge that the reason you got a job was to work and earn a wage. Now it seems some people think of businesses as paid baby sitters for overgrown children. It's wrong that any company should need a written policy stating that the workplace is for work and not play.

While I agree that work is a place to do work, there's a dependent factor, too. What I'm saying is is that breaks to blow off steam can result in a more productive worker. I give 100% to my employer and there's no question of that. And part of the reason I'm able to focus intently on what needs to be done is that I know that when time affords a breather...I'm allowed it. Actually, it's encouraged. I can say that it does indeed work.

I'll have a very stressful day, do 100 things in the time some folks get 3 things done. Then, I hit the wall. Rather than tackle things halfheartedly for the rest of the day, I zone out a bit and let myself get distracted. Trust me...it doesn't take long for something to pull me back into the goings on. And at that point, I feel revived and able to refocus and give that 100% they rely on me to give. With the crappy vacation policy most privately held companies give, it's not too unrealistic for some of them to allow a little flux time, IMHO. I know it works for me, and no one where I work doubts my work ethic. It's all about having your priorities straight.

Only come clean when confronted. If confronted... own it and hope for the best. Otherwise, tell her to stop using her work computer for personal use.

I agree with this. Unless she's been told she's done something wrong, there's nothing to come clean about. From the tone of the initial post, I gather she thinks it may be frowned upon, so based on that she may need to adjust her behavior.

 

[Dave_In_Philly]

Times sure have changed. Once upon a time it was simple common knowledge that the reason you got a job was to work and earn a wage. Now it seems some people think of businesses as paid baby sitters for overgrown children. It's wrong that any company should need a written policy stating that the workplace is for work and not play.

I agree with you, but only to a certain extent. Today's employees on average certainly have less of a work ethic and more of a sense of entitlement. Though, its not as though 50 years ago people came into the office at 9 am and dedicated the next 8 hours solely to the job they were assigned. People have always congregated around the water cooler and coffee pot, or stepped out back to grab a smoke, etc. Today that "water cooler talk" still exists but the water cooler has been replaced by the internet. We all have jobs to do and these little distractions only become problematic when they prevent us from accomplishing what must be done. I have no problem with the people on my team wasting time on facebook or shopping on ebay as long as the get their work is done.

I do certainly agree that it is somewhat absurd that we coddle employees to such an extent that we require even the most basic of requirements to be in writing. People should be held accountable for knowing the basics of right and wrong without it having to be spelled out in front of them. Forcing me to say checking ESPN for last night's scores is ok but downloading Jenna Jameson's latest film is not is insulting to everyone's intelligence.

 

[Dutch]

How unrewarding it must be, for a person of above average intellengence, to invest the time and money to earn a masters degree, only to find themselves being paid to babysit a group of adults, who on a daily basis act like children.

In a struggling economy, it's no wonder why so many companies struggle to make a net profit and stay in business. :roll: