UK firms increasingly monitoring Net use

A new survey from The Work Foundation indicates that two-thirds of UK employers now monitor their employeesí use of the Internet.

According to the study findings, 66 percent of companies in the UK monitor websites access in the workplace while 65 percent observe incoming email messages.
The survey also found that 43 percent of employers monitor emails for inappropriate words or content.
The Work Foundation report indicates that 75 percent of UK employers either have a ínetiquetteí policy in place, or are in the process of implementing one.

The majority of netiquette policies are most likely to include guidelines on email and Internet use, disciplinary procedures for those who disregard policies, and virus eradication and virus liability.

Around a quarter of organizations stated that they would dismiss an employee for breaching netiquette policies. However, while most organizations communicate their polices to staff via documents or email messages, only 49 percent said they tell new employees about their netiquette policies as part of induction.

The study indicates that companies in the utilities and financial sectors are most likely to have netiquette policies in place, whereas firms in the IT sector are least likely too implement guidelines regarding Net use in the workplace.

Monitoring is more likely in larger companies with 62 percent of organizations with over 2,500 employees saying they monitor emails for inappropriate content.
The report also found that in 46 percent of UK companies, the IT department is responsible for implementing netiquette polices.

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