Personal Internet use in the office

Most people who work in an office have access to the internet. Some companies allow employees to use the internet for personal reasons, although most have a policy on Internet use, limiting it to breaks and lunch hours. However many employees abuse these written policies and continue to surf the net during their working day. A lot of companies have tracking systems in place so they can monitor every website you visit, and every email you send, so you should always be cautious as to what websites you visit. A lot of companies now block websites which are unsuitable, like Facebook, so employees are restricted in what they can access.

When companies trust their staff to use the internet sensibly it can actually increase morale and productivity, however this trust should not be abused. A few minutes every so often to check on the latest weather forecast or to pay an online utility bill, shouldn’t be a sackable offence. However, there have been incidents when employees have been found to be spending over half their working day on the internet, some people have even been found running an online business, such as eBay, from work, which obviously would be classed as gross misconduct.