MONITORING EMPLOYEES ON NETWORKS; UNETHICAL OR GOOD BUSINESS

Should managers monitor employee e-mail and Internet usage? Why or why not?

·         Should managers monitor employee e-mail and internet usage because to ensure that employees are not wasting time at work. After that, behavior creates serious business problem. Checking e-mail, responding to instant messages, or sneaking in a brief YouTube video create a series of nonstop interruptions that divert employee attention from the job tasks they are supposed to be performing. Many companies have begun monitoring employee use of e-mail and internet, sometimes without their knowledge.

·         Why not managers monitor employee e-mail and internet usage because worker can increase their knowledge by finding key information on the internet and facilitate employees to perform work beyond expectations. Employee too much time on personnel business translate into lost revenue and some employees may even be billing time they spend pursuing personnel interests online to clients, thus overcharging them.

·         I think managers should monitor employees’ email and Internet usage during work time. Employees are paid to work. They have a common goal to maximize company’s wealth. Anything beyond this goal should not be done during work hours. As the article said, if employee is caught doing illegal activities online while they are working, the company will be sued. It is wasting company’s resources on unnecessary dispute.

·         Monitoring employee email and Internet usage may temporarily reduce employee’s morale. They will not feel free when they use computer. As the time goes by, they may get used to it. The rule will guide they act properly online when they are working. In the long run, it helps company to conduct business efficiency and effectively. Hundred percent of company’s resource is working for generate revenue.

 

2.    Describe an effective e-mail and Web use policy for a company.

·         An effective email and web use policy should include clear guide line what action is permitted and what is not, such as racist and sexually explicit has to be banned. Any employee step inside the banned area could be fired immediately. Also, managers could make the policy flexible. They could allow employee doing non work-related legal online surfing and email during break time and lunch time with limited speed load. If they occupied too much speed load, the regular online traffic will be blocked which could damage both hardware and software on company’s server.

·         Also company has the responsibility to maintain the hardware and software which block spam because it could cause employees read non-work related information from their email inbox and hardly to find a legitimate email among hundreds spam.   For example, clear information is to leave no room for interpretation, a company's Internet use policy should convey the rules clearly and explicitly.

·         For example, the policy should indicate what type of sites are forbidden under any circumstances. These may include social networking sites and should include sites that contain pornographic, violent or threatening content. If certain styles of sites are allowed under the company's policy, they should be listed and second is fairness If the company's management wants its employees to be content, there should be a degree of fairness and flexibility in the Web-use policy.

 

·         While an employer might say employees cannot check their personal email at work, employees will likely do so. Realizing this fact, the employer can write the policy reminding employees that "reasonable" personal Internet usage, such as checking emails, bank balances and news sites, is acceptable in moderation during breaks and lunch.

 

Should managers inform employees that their Web behavior is being monitored? Or should managers monitor secretly? Why or why not?

·         The managers should inform the employees that their uses of the web are monitored. If the managers let the employees know about their computers are monitored the employees will avoid using their personnel business, then they will concentrate during their work hours. My opinion about it, the managers should let the employees know about that to focus in their work for example can explain how the result from measuring and managing performance inform employee development.

·         Employees are happier if they know how they are doing, if they know they are doing a good job and it has been acknowledged, they will generally continue to do a good job as and strive to do more. If people don’t receive feedback and they aren’t doing a good job, employers expect them to be satisfied or productive.