Internet in the office
In the last few years as the economy and technology and dot-com industries boomed, close to every office had email and Internet access. Now office managers and the newer positions of technology and information system managers slowly had to come face to face with the issues and address the legal and moral issues that had been created with the information superhighway. ... But in the nineties as the Internet grew exponentially by the day, the amounts of information, be it deemed useful or inappropriate, grew at the same rate. ... There are hundreds of, if not more, aspects of Internet and email and privacy laws that can be delved into. ... Companies realized soon after they installed email and allowed people to use the Internet in the corporate world, companies realized that with this privilege there needed to be guidelines. According to a survey done in July 2001by the American Management Association 63 percent of the 1,627 companies that participated monitor employees Internet connections, up from 54% the previous year; almost half (47%) of companies say they store and review employee e-mail, up from 38%. In addition, 40% block Internet connections to unauthorized or inappropriate sites, up from 29% (AMA). Potential legal issues are the driving force behind the increased awareness of loose Internet and email policies. ... A second survey done by the AMA, which delved further into the personal use of email and Internet browsing, from the companies offices showed while 40 percent of companies allow unrestricted use of email, fewer than ten percent allow the same unrestricted viewing of the web, “Companies are far more concerned with keeping explicit sexual content off their employees screens than with any other content or matter” (AMA). Over 75 percent of the companies block access to pornographic sites, and this percentage rises when a company has an explicit and written Internet policy. ... In the in-class survey that was handed out 41 percent of respondents stated that their use of the Internet was blocked or monitored in some way, 30 percent stated their email was also monitored. Close to 25 percent of the class responded that they were aware of someone that had been terminated due to violating a firm’s Internet policy. ... This policy should also set forth the severe penalties that can result from non-adherence Grossman continues on Blocks path and elaborates on it a bit, he states that “Providing employees with e-mail and Internet access will be indispensable in the next century. ... A comprehensive AUP should include the following: · All electronic information systems, including e-mail, voice mail, Internet access, and online services provided by the employer, are the property of the employer and should be used for business purposes · There should be no expectation of personal privacy when employees use the employers electronic systems · The employer reserves the right to monitor the use of its electronic information systems · Employees need to exercise the same level of professionalism and care when preparing and transmitting electronic information as they do with other company communications · The employers electronic information systems may not be used for illegal activities or any purpose that would be disruptive or offensive to others · The employers electronic information systems may not be used in a manner that would harm the employers working environment, including communications considered sexually explicit or obscene and communications that could be construed as harassing or disparaging to others on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, or disability · The employers electronic information resources must not be used to advocate any non-company business activities · Employees are prohibited from accessing the e-mail and electronic files of other employees · The use of the employers electronic information resources constitutes the employees consent to the policy Preston Gates Nielander also states his firm recognizes the specter of liability.