Your Business and Your Internet April 2005
Do you have a policy in your business that gives your workers an understanding of what their internet limits are? With the fast expansion of the internet, fast networking and broadband internet have become a must have in the business world, but has this affected your productivity? Modern managers have discovered that giving their employees more freedom has resulted in an increase in morale, but unrestricted internet access can lead to a big problem. Consider that a worker earns $35 an hour, and spends on hour each day using the internet for personal reasons. This would cost $8400 per year, and that’s just for the one worker!
Firstly, you must have an Acceptable Use Policy in your workplace that all workers understand. Make sure it is realistic and flexible. This must cover the 3 main parts of the internet – browsing, downloading and e-mail.
Browsing the internet may seem harmless, but it is a waste of your time, and your money. Set up filters and monitoring software. This will stop most of the mischievous activities happening through the internet, and make you able to monitor what is taking up your bandwidth. This will keep your workers on task, and making sure that they are browsing the internet legally.
A few workers downloading the latest U2 video will slow your internet, and disrupt your working environment. You need to make it clear that bandwidth is just like a pipe, and if you fill that pipe too much with downloading useless things, there isn’t much space in the pipe to for everyone else to use. Install software that will restrict downloading during peak times, so it can be open for others and monitor your bandwidth.
E-mail has always been a big issue. Viruses must be controlled, but general attachments can be problematic too. Just because it is an e-mail, doesn’t mean it isn’t using your bandwidth. Restrict large attachments especially during peak times, and constantly check for viruses.
Keep your workplace safe. With a growing amount of pornographic, hate other offensive e-mails, so too does the risk of legal liability. All monitoring software, although it seems irrational, is a must have in this modern era.
Policies are important in the workplace, but creating a policy is not an overnight process. Make sure you seek advice, and your local Computer Troubleshooters are willing to help you with whatever you need – it will save you hard earned money and precious time!
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