What’s on your computer?
Ever walk by a co-worker and have them instantly minimize their screen as soon as they notice you? Or maybe you’re one of those who has one of those little ‘bubble’ mirrors stuck to the top of your computer monitor to give you a ‘heads-up’ when someone is coming within viewing range. Got something to hide? Maybe it’s as innocent as some on-line chatting with a friend, maybe you’re checking out the latest ESPN sports highlights for your favorite team, or to see how your stocks are doing, or a YouTube vid, or possibly it was porn that you surely don’t want anybody to know you’re watching, or just as bad; downloading.
Let’s talk about the first category; Instant Messaging. Some companies strictly forbid any type of IM software to be installed on company computers. Not that that stops employees from doing it. Other companies leave it to the discretion of the employee, believing and trusting they have good judgment and common sense. Personally, I’ve found that inter-office messaging can be a great timesaver, preventing the need to dial the other person’s extension and interrupt what they’re doing. Often, if you IM someone who’s in the middle of something else, they can choose to reply right away, or finish up whatever they’re doing and then answer. And it sure beats getting up from your desk to walk across the hall to ask a question, only to find the person you went to see is away from their desk. All of these things mentioned are good reasons for allowing Instant Messaging from your computer. However, let’s face it: not everybody plays by those rules. I know I’ve been guilty of keeping in touch with the ‘outside world’ while at my desk, and it’s easy to do. Much easier, say, than calling them on the phone, and much less obvious.
Checking out the latest sports scores, or checking stocks? Or watching some video you heard just went viral on YouTube? While probably not all that big of a deal, let’s face it, if what’s on your computer isn’t directly work related, you’re slacking. You’re not giving your employer 100% and you’re not giving them what they’re paying you for. I’m not going to get into a moral debate about what you should or shouldn’t be doing, or what’s right and what’s wrong, but bottom line, is you’re getting paid a certain amount to go to work each day and perform certain job duties, and unless ‘surfing the web’ or ‘online chatting’ is in your job description, you could be skating on thin ice. Keep in mind, EVERYTHING that is done on your computer is traceable. Not just the sites you visit. More and more companies are using software that tracks time spent on projects, programs and internet usage. If an employer desires, they can track and log every keystroke and activity from the moment you log in until you turn the computer off at the end of the day. Maybe your company’s police is that during your break time, you’re free to use your computer for your personal needs, just remember, it’s still being logged and the last thing you really want to do is to be called into your bosses office, having to explain how or why you got carried away and lost track of time while checking your dating site for new messages or updating your online dating profile.
The Dirty Little Secret
Here are some facts: in a 2006 survey for Websense by Harris Interactive, about 16% of men who have access to the Internet at work acknowledged having seen porn while on the job, eight percent of women said they had. However, those who acknowledged viewing porn sites at work, only 6% of men and 5% of women acknowledged they had done so intentionally. More recent research indicates 70% of Internet porn is downloaded during the standard workday, 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. These more recent surveys claim that about 30% of men and 13% of women admit to using porn online during working hours.
If your company is large enough to have an IT guy, then whatever it is, whenever it is you’re viewing or downloading it, is being tracked and monitored. Chances are, your IT guy (or gal), knows what you’ve been viewing. Maybe they haven’t said anything directly to you about it. Maybe because they’re embarrassed, maybe the time hasn’t come yet. But that doesn’t mean half the company doesn’t already know about it. Remember: people talk, and workers gossip between one another. Does the thought of half your department knowing that you view and download __________ (you fill in the blank), bother you? How about when your boss gets wind of it? In a 2005 report I just read, it said that of the 562 companies that participated in the online study, 62% of them monitor and review the website connection of all employees; 61% of the companies will discipline employees for misuse of the internet, and the type of discipline ranges from informal reprimand (25%), formal reprimand (34%) and dismissal (26%). I’m betting with the increase of Internet usage in the workplace, those numbers are higher today. So, give this some thought: If you’re one of ‘those’ who fall in this category, how are you going to feel when your boss calls you into his office, asking you to explain why you were visiting the site with __________(again, you fill in the blank)? Or how you’re going to explain why you lost your job to your significant other Or how about this one: At your next interview, when they ask why you were terminated from your last place of employment. All in all, there’s no pretty answer to any of those questions.
Bottom line: whether you’re chatting with friends outside the workplace, checking stocks or checking porn, you’re taking time from the company you work for. Time they are paying you for. You’re being distracted from your job at hand, and your overall productivity is going to suffer to some degree. Be a good employee….. Keep your personal stuff at home, give your employer a full day’s work, and feel good about the job you did when you leave at the end of the day.
Written by: Ronald J. Morse
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