Surfs Up, Productivity Down?
The growing trend of employees inappropriately using Internet access to check personal email, social media and browse the web is costing local businesses valuable project time, money and overall productivity. In fact, recent studies have shown that as much as 80% of employees are using the Internet at work for purposes that have nothing to do with work.
Browser Blind
A major issue with employees wasting productivity on surfing the Internet comes from businesses not properly monitoring and restricting Internet access. The damage from employees surfing the web is furthered as employees damage the reputation of their employer by browsing inappropriate content or posting damaging information to social media, as well as the threat of downloading harmful viruses and leaving critical business and client information at risk.
The Cost of Time Lost
The age of employees has no affect on the ability to waste time by browsing the web. Studies show that older employees spend work time managing their finances or reading news, while younger employees are distracted by social media. Furthermore, you are the one footing the bill! With the average employee losing 2-3 hours of work time on inappropriate Internet usage, companies are losing thousands of dollars!
How to Elevate Employee Productivity
The combination of an Internet usage policy and a monitoring system is the first step to eliminating inappropriate web surfing. Even with a policy and restrictions in place, it’s not enough. It comes down to enforcing your policy and taking actions to reprimand employees who violate the company policy. The combination of knowing they are monitored and that the consequences of abusing company resources is real, is the best way to ensure your employees are working when they are at work!