Internet and email abuse affects 50% of all companies!
An anonymous random check carried out by our bureau indicates that 51% of employers abuse Internet and email. Sanctions were imposed in 63% of these cases. According to our consultant Dennis Utermark these are alarming figures. The fact that these checks are often carried out at random makes it likely that the true figures are even worse, since not all cases of abuse are being uncovered.
Apart from the financial damage and the time loss, improper use of the Internet has other consequences. A known example is the employee with a pc full of pornographic material, tarnishing the reputation of the company he works for. What most managers do not know is that highly confidential information such as trade secrets may leak out unnoticed by email. As a result the company may miss out on orders or patents, which imply even heavier losses in income.
All in all it is a ticklish subject that doesn’t get much attention within companies but involves many risks every day again. For those who think they can play Big Brother and secretly check their employees’ email, they are wrong. Each employee has the right to make a limited private use of the means of communication at work and employers may not infringe on these rights.
But does this mean that employers have no protection at all anymore? According to Dennis Utermark it doesn’t. Companies can prevent a lot of trouble by drawing up regulations for the use of Internet and email. Half of the companies we interviewed still lacked regulations that clearly state what is and is not allowed on the Internet and with email. The regulations should also include sanctions that are imposed against offenders and must be clearly announced to the employees. A plus-point is that they also state what is checked by the employer and why.
There is also a legal ground to regulate the use of Internet and email. If an employee abuses Internet or email but you lack the regulations, it is likely that the application for dismissal will be declared invalid in court. After all, the employee did not know what is and is not allowed. It is therefore very important to draw up and clearly communicate the regulation, for example in a meeting, a memo, training, introductions etc.
As Internet and email use often involves private information the Council for the Protection of Personal Details has set a number of requirements and preconditions for the use of Internet and email regulations.
On the basis of practical experience Hoffmann Strategic Risk Management have now elaborated a standard regulation that contains all the necessary options to fulfil the specific requirements of every organisation. Our consultant can draw up and implement a regulation for your company in a day, together with the management and the works council. After talking over all the preconditions, he will present the regulation to the staff. It is a successful formula that allows you to control the risks.
Apart from the financial damage and the time loss, improper use of the Internet has other consequences. A known example is the employee with a pc full of pornographic material, tarnishing the reputation of the company he works for. What most managers do not know is that highly confidential information such as trade secrets may leak out unnoticed by email. As a result the company may miss out on orders or patents, which imply even heavier losses in income.
All in all it is a ticklish subject that doesn’t get much attention within companies but involves many risks every day again. For those who think they can play Big Brother and secretly check their employees’ email, they are wrong. Each employee has the right to make a limited private use of the means of communication at work and employers may not infringe on these rights.
But does this mean that employers have no protection at all anymore? According to Dennis Utermark it doesn’t. Companies can prevent a lot of trouble by drawing up regulations for the use of Internet and email. Half of the companies we interviewed still lacked regulations that clearly state what is and is not allowed on the Internet and with email. The regulations should also include sanctions that are imposed against offenders and must be clearly announced to the employees. A plus-point is that they also state what is checked by the employer and why.
There is also a legal ground to regulate the use of Internet and email. If an employee abuses Internet or email but you lack the regulations, it is likely that the application for dismissal will be declared invalid in court. After all, the employee did not know what is and is not allowed. It is therefore very important to draw up and clearly communicate the regulation, for example in a meeting, a memo, training, introductions etc.
As Internet and email use often involves private information the Council for the Protection of Personal Details has set a number of requirements and preconditions for the use of Internet and email regulations.
On the basis of practical experience Hoffmann Strategic Risk Management have now elaborated a standard regulation that contains all the necessary options to fulfil the specific requirements of every organisation. Our consultant can draw up and implement a regulation for your company in a day, together with the management and the works council. After talking over all the preconditions, he will present the regulation to the staff. It is a successful formula that allows you to control the risks.
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