Non-Work Related Internet Use

If your employees have access to email and/or the Internet at work, sooner or later you're going to need to make a decision and set a standard regarding using the system for non-work purposes. As with most of life there are two extremes involved here, along with a middle ground that is based on a bit of common sense and reality.

Some unfortunate people have found themselves with an employer who absolutely forbids any kind of non-work related use of the business email and Internet system. Not only is this stance unrealistic, but it's often not very good for morale, either. Sure, you don't want your employees to be sending or downloading personal things on your time, but you have to remember that some limited use of the system can actually be beneficial.

For example, I would much rather my employees, if they so desired, to get on the Internet and pay their bills online rather than have to leave their desk and queue up at the post office. I also have no problem with them maybe logging into their Hotmail account at lunch time or at the end of the day and checking their own personal emails. People need to have a life, and if we bind everyone with too many rules and regulations, we run the risk of strangling all the fun out of life.

Do you let your employees make personal phone calls? Most employers do. Then also letting them send emails when necessary can work fine too. Instead of ringing, if an employee wants to send an email home to say he's going to be a little late, or if he gets email asking him to pick up some milk on the way home, that's fine by me. It's certainly cheaper by email.

But of course, it's all a matter of balance after taking into account your own business circumstances. For one, people obviously need to understand that non-work related use of the system is limited, and that they need to first be doing what they're paid for. Also, if you're one of those unfortunate people who pay their ISP by the megabyte, then letting your staff send their holiday snaps to their relatives in Plymouth is going to cost you. Also, some businesses have security concerns, which means they do need to limit what can be sent in and out of the local area network.

And then there are some types of non-work related use that are never OK. Letting your staff use the Internet to engage in any kind of illegal activity is not only really bad for everyone concerned, but you can find yourself liable too in some circumstances.

Internal emails also pose their own dilemmas sometimes. There is no doubt that a portion of staff time is sometimes spent on sending non-work related emails internally, including jokes, gossip, and general chit chat. How far should you restrict this?

It again depends on the kind of business you want to run, but it has been said that the good boss will actually encourage some "positive gossip" or information sharing as a way to ensure that the team works well together. It can help maintain a useful positive work environment when people are offering tips to each other. And, as long as we don't spend all our week finding jokes on the internet, an occasional laugh is probably fine too.

Whatever "middle ground" you eventually decide on, it's important to let everyone know what it is. Tell everyone what the ground rules are and, provided they do provide some slack, most people will comply with them. If not, then you can always take appropriate action against that individual person.

Disclaimer: This page is designed to provide information only and is not a substitute for advice that is specific to your business. Before acting on any of the information above it is important you seek further advice from a professional who has taken into consideration the nature and circumstances of your business.

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