Websense web@work survey reveals employers are paying the price for net addiction - 05/2001

Nearly 90 percent of employees feel the Internet can be addictive - and 41 percent admit to personal surfing at work for more than three hours per week - according to a new survey released today from Websense Inc. (NASDAQ: WBSN).

The Web@Work Survey 2001, conducted by Taylor Nelson Sofres, the fourth biggest research company in the world, was commissioned by Websense to gain a greater understanding of the habits and attitudes towards employee use of the Internet at work. The survey was conducted among 800 employees across the UK, Italy, France and Germany.

According to the survey, UK companies are the most aggressive when it comes to reprimanding staff for inappropriate use of the net. Employers in the UK were five times more likely to take disciplinary action than Italian employers - and two-and-a-half times more likely to take action than their French or German counterparts.

The survey also found that while pornography is widely available on the Internet and has been a public and visible concern to employers, employees are now using the web in much broader, different ways. For example, employees reported using the Internet at work to book a holiday (52%), pursue education (42%), research a hobby (41%), visit a virtual shop (28%) or watch a sports event (27%).

Other key findings from the survey include:-

- 52% of companies across Europe are doing nothing to address the issue of Internet misuse. However, the percentages changes depending on the country. For example, 67 percent of UK employers have Internet access policies in place, while only 33 percent of French companies report the same.

- 71% of workers feel that it is acceptable to have the Internet managed at work, with the UK and Germans being most in favour.

- 73% of staff feel that it is acceptable to surf the web at work during breaks, but only half feel it is appropriate before or after official hours.

ìThe survey shows that the Internet is clearly a valuable business tool for employees, but at the same time it can be a distraction,î said Geoff Haggart, VP of Europe for Websense. ìIt also shows that companies need to strike a balance and be aware that employees do not object to having their Internet access at work managed.î

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