Three-quarters
of firms have or are working on e-mail and internet policies, according to a
poll of 262 HR professionals.
Of
these, two-thirds monitor website access and incoming e-mail messages, and 43
per cent monitor e-mails for inappropriate words or content.
A
quarter of the HR professionals polled in the Work Foundation’s Netiquette
survey said that they would dismiss an employee for breaking the company’s
rules.
Most
organisations communicate policies to staff via documents or e-mail and half
tell new employees about policies at the company induction.
In
all, 90 per cent of companies inform staff they are being monitored.
"It
is vital that acceptable e-mail use should be understood by employees from day
one," said Theo Blackwell, chief policy specialist at the Work Foundation.
"Many
employees are unaware of the potential damages a rogue e-mail can do to an
organisation.
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"Clear
understanding of what is allowed is vital in today’s workplace."
