Guide to Establishing an Employee Internet Policy

Setting some limits can help you combat hackers and slackers

By Charles Dervarics

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It's a fact: Employees waste about two hours a day at work, much of it on the Internet. By setting reasonable limits on Web access, employees stay focused on the job and your business protects its valuable bandwidth. You'll need a three-part strategy:

Conduct an in-depth review of your employees' Internet use
Create an acceptable use policy with rules and expectations for employees
Purchase blocking or filtering software that supports your goals

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Review existing practices

Small businesses often have little information on their employees' Web behavior. But a technology audit or Web traffic assessment will fill in the gaps.

I recommend: Programs such as NetTracker analyze employee Internet habits and Web pages viewed from company workstations.

Develop an acceptable use policy

Written rules on acceptable and unacceptable Internet use are essential. Bring together a group of employees, including human resources and IT, to develop a written policy and communicate it to staff. And don't forget to involve your attorney.

I recommend: Your HR person can find templates for a policy at the members-only Society for Human Resource Management site or you can buy a sample policies from HR.BLR.com or Corporate Internet Policy.

Identify and block objectionable sites

Employees who visit sites with hate messages, violence or pornography may create a hostile work environment. If left unchecked, such behavior may prompt legal challenges.

I recommend: Use products such as SmartFilter, Cyberpatrol or SurfControl to monitor and block objectionable Web sites.

Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

Just as employees use office phones for personal calls, they may have legitimate reasons for personal email or Internet access during the day. Policies should reflect that fact.
Employees may voice objections about privacy issues. That's why it's important to provide upfront communication and allow input into the process.
Describe your Internet use policy in your employee handbook and make it part of new employee orientation.
By purchasing blocking or monitoring software, you also can prevent employees from downloading outside files with potentially dangerous spyware.
Once approved, Internet use rules should apply to everyone and include specific disciplinary action for violations.
Remember that some employees may need more time online than others depending on job responsibilities.

The official source of Establishing an Employee Internet Policy is
the Internet and Employee Policy page at Business.com

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