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Old 08-25-2008, 03:22 PM
 
Location: St. Louis
4,677 posts, read 2,054,609 times
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I work for the state, and they monitor everything we look at. I heard it came from the people here before us wouldnt work and shopped on ebay, amazon, etc. So it is people ruining it for other unfortunately. But they do block us from certain sites for the silliest things.
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Old 08-25-2008, 04:35 PM
 
Location: Harrisburg, PA
2,336 posts, read 7,758,374 times
Reputation: 1580
Quote:
Originally Posted by mrstewart View Post
Maybe I should change our policy at work...surf the net all you'd like but I'll dock your pay for the time on the computer.

Allowing personal internet use is no different than paying someone to bring in the sweater they are knitting , work on that fixer upper car that sits in the garage, take up oil painting...good grief! Why should employers pay for your leisure time??
And if they didn't have the internet, those same shiftless employees would have the phone, magazines, whatever.

Truth be told, sometimes you just need to pay a warm body to "be there". If there is such a concern about dollars paid vs. productivity, then maybe they should make the position into a part-time one. I mean, really...how many front-lobby receptionists get paid to sit there and look pretty and make new pots of coffee all day?

Allowing access to the internet is not a deterrent or problem from good employees who know how to properly manage their time. Plus, if these people are going to put in the additional overtime...routinely spend up to 50 hours in the office...access to the internet should be a small perk to give. Again, if it is such a concern, just take the internet off of their computer. If the company is so concerned about it...and they don't absolutely need it for their position (few of these positions do) then just take away the capabilities.
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Old 08-25-2008, 10:53 PM
 
13,783 posts, read 26,193,311 times
Reputation: 7445
Quote:
Originally Posted by MissShona View Post
And if they didn't have the internet, those same shiftless employees would have the phone, magazines, whatever.

Truth be told, sometimes you just need to pay a warm body to "be there". If there is such a concern about dollars paid vs. productivity, then maybe they should make the position into a part-time one. I mean, really...how many front-lobby receptionists get paid to sit there and look pretty and make new pots of coffee all day?

Allowing access to the internet is not a deterrent or problem from good employees who know how to properly manage their time. Plus, if these people are going to put in the additional overtime...routinely spend up to 50 hours in the office...access to the internet should be a small perk to give. Again, if it is such a concern, just take the internet off of their computer. If the company is so concerned about it...and they don't absolutely need it for their position (few of these positions do) then just take away the capabilities.
There are times when they do need access to the internet. We are not talking about children here. We are supposedly talking about adults who are able to follow BASIC guidelines...

Why should I pay someone to have free time? They can do that at home! If a receptionist is hanging around filing her nails in between phone calls, give her something more to do...idle hands=idle minds. Giving people more responsibility makes them feel good about their job and when they feel good, they work harder.

Like I said, when you are the employer you will see things in a different light.
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Old 08-25-2008, 10:59 PM
 
Location: Land of Enchantment
7,310 posts, read 2,726,517 times
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We have very limited access to the internet which is fine...we very seldomly have the time to "play" anyway.
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Old 08-26-2008, 01:34 AM
 
Location: USA
4,978 posts, read 9,486,684 times
Reputation: 2506
Quote:
Originally Posted by MissShona View Post
And if they didn't have the internet, those same shiftless employees would have the phone, magazines, whatever.

Truth be told, sometimes you just need to pay a warm body to "be there". If there is such a concern about dollars paid vs. productivity, then maybe they should make the position into a part-time one. I mean, really...how many front-lobby receptionists get paid to sit there and look pretty and make new pots of coffee all day?

Allowing access to the internet is not a deterrent or problem from good employees who know how to properly manage their time. Plus, if these people are going to put in the additional overtime...routinely spend up to 50 hours in the office...access to the internet should be a small perk to give. Again, if it is such a concern, just take the internet off of their computer. If the company is so concerned about it...and they don't absolutely need it for their position (few of these positions do) then just take away the capabilities.

I agree...you know what it is...it is the "One Size Fits All" rule...treat everyone as suspicious and as a bad worker, because there ARE some out there. The One Size rule diminishes good workers, and makes them feel like why bother.
It is a sign of insecure management who feels they have to control their employees.
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Old 08-26-2008, 05:30 AM
 
6,764 posts, read 22,012,768 times
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I see nothing wrong with light usage as long as your job gets done. I think letting people check emails is fine. Companies hate personal phone calls, they hate this, they hate that. No cell phones, no breathing...

Well, checking your email a few times a day is not a big deal. I do it to keep in touch w/my husband. I need the phone free for work related calls.
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Old 08-26-2008, 06:26 AM
 
Location: Harrisburg, PA
2,336 posts, read 7,758,374 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mrstewart View Post
There are times when they do need access to the internet. We are not talking about children here. We are supposedly talking about adults who are able to follow BASIC guidelines...
Who is "they"? Why would a receptionist need access to the internet? A call center employee? A worker at the DMV? If anything, set them up on a company intranet where they have access only to shared resources that are related to the company.

As far as those who do in fact need the internet for their job, there should be no need to monitor it if you have the proper corporate structure in place to ensure they are completing their tasks properly and on time.

Quote:
Why should I pay someone to have free time? They can do that at home! If a receptionist is hanging around filing her nails in between phone calls, give her something more to do...idle hands=idle minds. Giving people more responsibility makes them feel good about their job and when they feel good, they work harder.
Well it's either you "pay someone for free time", or you properly define the job, the responsibilities, and delegate them out accordingly. If this can't be done, then knock them down to a part-time schedule. Wouldn't that make more logical sense than policing them at work?

Quote:
Like I said, when you are the employer you will see things in a different light.
Hmm...I doubt that I would. I've worked in a CPAs office and if anything, I would like to have my own accounting firm. For low level employees that need to do data entry and printing and copying in a CPA firm, there is no reason whatsoever for them to have access to the internet. For higher level employees, you have clients that need their reports by certain deadlines...taxes that have deadlines...clients to meet with, etc. If you can get through all that just fine...go surf the 'net then. I myself had unlimited, unmonitored internet access at the CPA firm, and I hardly ever had a free moment to go online. There were too many things that I would need to either finish by that day or by the next day. Again, you need to set in place proper expectations and delegate out a proper workload to your employees so that they will not have all this "free time" to go surf the 'net.

Also I remember how back in 1993, I went with my aunt to her job for a day (may have been "take you daughter to work day"...I'm not sure). She worked for a big law firm and there was a file clerk that worked in a room full of filing cabinets. Basically his entire full-time job was to pull files for attorney and keep the place in order. Yeah, every time I saw him, he was playing solitaire on the computer. Again, some companies just need a "warm body" there and you just need to pay for that. Or do it yourself.
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Old 08-26-2008, 06:45 AM
 
13,783 posts, read 26,193,311 times
Reputation: 7445
Quote:
Originally Posted by nebulous1 View Post
I agree...you know what it is...it is the "One Size Fits All" rule...treat everyone as suspicious and as a bad worker, because there ARE some out there. The One Size rule diminishes good workers, and makes them feel like why bother.
It is a sign of insecure management who feels they have to control their employees.
Yes, good idea. Maybe, as a a business owner, I should write a different employee handbook for EACH employee so there is no "one size fits all" feeling at work...

This has nothing to do with being suspicious of employees, but expecting consistent work from them.

This is not a sign of insecure management but indicative of constistent management. If you have ever taken any professional leadership development courses, this theory would be self evident.
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Old 08-26-2008, 07:06 AM
 
13,783 posts, read 26,193,311 times
Reputation: 7445
Quote:
Originally Posted by MissShona View Post
Who is "they"? Why would a receptionist need access to the internet? A call center employee? A worker at the DMV? If anything, set them up on a company intranet where they have access only to shared resources that are related to the company.

"They" is in reference to the employee you referenced in a previous post that I quoted. You asked about a receptionist having free time, I believe.

As far as those who do in fact need the internet for their job, there should be no need to monitor it if you have the proper corporate structure in place to ensure they are completing their tasks properly and on time.

We have research that needs to take place on the internet...and when I refer to research, this is Medline, not Myspace. Our employees know their job descriptions and our expectations of them so we have only had one employee that needed to be let go because of her internet use. That is not too bad considering we have 72 employeees.


Well it's either you "pay someone for free time", or you properly define the job, the responsibilities, and delegate them out accordingly. If this can't be done, then knock them down to a part-time schedule. Wouldn't that make more logical sense than policing them at work?

We will not pay someone for their free time. Their job responsibilities are quite clearly defined in the employee handbook and on their personal job description they sign when they accept employment offers. Our manual was crafted by the same company that wrote Targets manual, so I think our bases are covered.


Hmm...I doubt that I would. I've worked in a CPAs office and if anything, I would like to have my own accounting firm. For low level employees that need to do data entry and printing and copying in a CPA firm, there is no reason whatsoever for them to have access to the internet. For higher level employees, you have clients that need their reports by certain deadlines...taxes that have deadlines...clients to meet with, etc. If you can get through all that just fine...go surf the 'net then. I myself had unlimited, unmonitored internet access at the CPA firm, and I hardly ever had a free moment to go online. There were too many things that I would need to either finish by that day or by the next day. Again, you need to set in place proper expectations and delegate out a proper workload to your employees so that they will not have all this "free time" to go surf the 'net.

Tell me again why someone should be AT WORK, finish an assignment and go onto the internet rather than start a new task?? Great work ethic! Do ONLY what is barely expected of you and go surf the internet. The term Lazy American makes more sense to me now.

Also I remember how back in 1993, I went with my aunt to her job for a day (may have been "take you daughter to work day"...I'm not sure). She worked for a big law firm and there was a file clerk that worked in a room full of filing cabinets. Basically his entire full-time job was to pull files for attorney and keep the place in order. Yeah, every time I saw him, he was playing solitaire on the computer. Again, some companies just need a "warm body" there and you just need to pay for that. Or do it yourself.
As a business owner, I do more than you can imagine so spare me your implications that I would not file the charts or do such "menial" tasks.

Some people are just meant to be followers and not leaders. If an employee is not SELF DRIVENenough to get off their behinds and find something productive after a specific task is finished then they can expect to stay put in their postition.

The term "work" is the imperative term here...not "recess".
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Old 08-26-2008, 11:18 AM
 
2,769 posts, read 7,212,022 times
Reputation: 1482
What is this using the internet at work? Is it a new invention?

Kidding aside I hardly ever have a chance to use the internet at work as I don't work in an office, I do have a moment every now and then to check my email if I'm back at the offices for which I work for. However, that's only if things are slow and it's usually at the end of my day, and it's only maybe once a week if that.

Keep in mind that there was a time before the internet existed that people who did work at a desk or with a computer didn't have the ability to log on and check their email or view their favorite web site during the day. So those that do have that option these days are fortunate, even if the usage is monitored.
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