Many companies are finding that their staff are not fully aware of the use of the internet at work.  We recommend that companies set out some clear guidelines to all staff in order to ensure that your productivity is not adversely affected by their personal internet and email usage. Ideally you should consider monitoring internet usage so that you can effectively enforce the policy. A managed firewall can block staff access to certain sites – as you are perfectly within your rights to do so.

In addition to a managed firewall , we suggest a clear Internet and Email policy for all staff. If you have one already, then we suggest that now is a good time to review it. Make sure that you inform employees that their web and email usage may be monitored in order to avoid possible breach of privacy rights. Remember too to ensure that any personal information gathered about employees is held and processed in line with data protection law.

What should you put in to your policy? Well as a minimum we think that the policy needs to make clear:

• That your company e-mail and internet facility is to promote effective communication on matters relating to the company’s business;

• That the system is not for personal use;

• That staff have no right to privacy when using the company’s email, Internet and other computer systems;

• That company email and the internet must not be used for spreading gossip or for personal gain or in breach of any of the company’s other employment policies on issues such as, for example, sexual or racial harassment;

• That messages sent via email and the internet are to be written in accordance with the standards of any other form of written company communication and the content and language used must be consistent with best company practice;

• That the company reserves the right to retrieve the contents of all incoming and outgoing messages and history of web pages browsed for the purpose of monitoring whether the use of the e-mail system and Internet is legitimate;

• That staff must not use MSN Messenger, Facebook, Myspace, Bebo and any other social networking sites in working time – specify times (if any) when they can do so;

• That revelations about the company or about other employees (for example in personal blogs) that jeopardise the company’s good image might result in disciplinary action;

• That internet use must be for legitimate company business only. Searching for or viewing or downloading web pages the content of which is offensive, lewd, obscene, of a sexual nature or in any way discriminatory will constitute gross misconduct;

• That misuse of the e-mail system in breach of the policy will be treated as misconduct; and

• That misuse of the e-mail system by transmission of any material that is defamatory, offensive or obscene, untrue or malicious, discriminatory, confidential or protected by copyright will be treated as gross misconduct.

To request more information about our managed firewall please click here to complete the form.