UK survey highlights problem of illegal and inappopriate images in the workplace

70% of UK organisations have disciplined staff over pornographic images

54% of managers unaware of legal responsiblities

A new survey into illegal and inappropriate images in the workplace conducted by PixAlert, the computer image detection company, in conjunction with the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, CIPD, has revealed that over 70% of UK companies have already had to take disciplinary action as a result of employees viewing pornographic images on their company computers.

The PixAlert/CIPD survey has also shown that over 50% of senior managers questioned were unaware of their personal legal and civil liability for illegal and inappropriate images in the workplace. Furthermore, two out of every three companies surveyed have not kept their íComputer Acceptable Usage Policy í up to date, exposing them to potential criminal or civil claims.

A majority of companies have some technology in place to provide a degree of protection to prevent illegal and inappropriate images getting on to the corporate network via the Web or email. However, nearly 70% have not installed technology capable of identifying improper images, which can enter through desktop or laptop computers on memory sticks, CDs/DVDs and camera phones, for example.

Key findings of the survey include:

71% of companies have had an incident where they have had to deal with employees having inappropriate or illegal images in the workplace within the past 24 months

54% of managers were unaware of their personal legal liability for illegal and inappropriate images in the workplace

66% of companies have an out of date íComputer Acceptable Usage Policyí for the management of inappropriate and illegal images

68% of companies have not deployed a desktop technology to counteract increased threats from new technologies such as memory sticks, DVDs CDs, digital cameras and camera phones

In a climate where the obligations for corporate governance are increasing, the survey highlights that a high number of companies and their directors are exposed to the risks and potential liabilities from illegal and inappropriate images in the workplace, said Dave McLoughlin, Director of PixAlert. Companies need to tackle this sensitive issue with a combination of good policies and procedures and the deployment of suitable technology, added McLoughlin.

Imogen Haslam, CIPD Professional Adviser, said: Many people may view some inappropriate computer images as a bit of harmless fun. But this is not just about sparing blushes. A culture where some dodgy pictures are tolerated can all too easily create the environment where far more offensive or even illegal images can find their way into an organisation - by accident or otherwise.

Employers need to have clear, consistent policies that leave no room for doubt in the minds of employees. A little tolerance could cause a lot of trouble later. They also need to keep up to date with the rapidly advancing array of technology that can make it easy for unwanted images to slip into the workplace unnoticed. This should not be left to the IT department alone. Itís not computers that bring inappropriate or illegal images to work, it is people.

HR needs to work closely with IT to make sure that the systems are in place to monitor and enforce policies. But ultimately bosses who want to be sure they are protected from prosecution resulting from illegal images stored on their systems need to get the people management policies right.

The PixAlert/CIPD Annual Survey is the first significant research into the management of inappropriate images in the workplace. It was carried out with the CIPD in October and November 2004 and was responded to by HR and IT executives from over 200 medium to large sized UK organisations from both the public and private sectors.