Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Personnel Today

Register
Log in
Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+

Latest NewsHR practiceComputer misuse

Foreign Office tops Whitehall list for staff disciplined for computer misuse

by dan thomas 1 Jun 2006
by dan thomas 1 Jun 2006

More than 160 Foreign Office staff have been disciplined for internet or IT abuse at work in the past three years, it has emerged.

The numbers are significantly higher at the Foreign Office than in any other government department which has produced figures on the problem.

In a written parliamentary answer to a question from Democratic Unionist MP David Simpson, new foreign secretary Margaret Beckett said one person was sacked in 2003 and 72 were disciplined.

Levels of internet and IT abuse fell in 2004, with 36 staff disciplined but the figure rose again to 58 last year.

No details have been given yet about exactly what the abuse involved.

Simpson told the BBC News website the figures showed that the Foreign Office seemed to be lagging behind the rest of government.

“The fact that more than 160 Foreign Office staff have been disciplined during the past three years is worrying enough,” he said. “However, what is also of concern is the fact that only one was dismissed.

“Clearly we need to be told exactly in what way these abuses occurred and in what way the sole dismissal differed in seriousness from all of the rest.”

The Department for Transport has also revealed it has dismissed seven people for abuse since 2002 – but it has only disciplined another 16 people during the same period.

Figures released for other departments include:



  • Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs: Three staff formally disciplined between 2001 and 2005, including two officials dismissed and one who resigned before the procedures were completed
  • Department for International Development: One official disciplined, three dismissed during the past five years
  • Department for Culture, Media and Sport: None
  • Treasury: Five disciplined between 2001 and 2005, with two resigning during the investigation.

Sign up to our weekly round-up of HR news and guidance

Receive the Personnel Today Direct e-newsletter every Wednesday

OptOut
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

The Ministry of Defence said information is not collected centrally so figures are not available.

Trade secrets: fighting the enemy within

dan thomas

previous post
Britannia Building Society to bring outsourced HR systems back in-house
next post
UK bids to keep Working Time Directive opt-out

You may also like

Number of Neet women rises but figures fall...

23 May 2025

Sighing in frustration at colleague was discriminatory, judge...

23 May 2025

Unions ponder strike action after public sector pay...

23 May 2025

Fire and rehire: the relocation question

22 May 2025

Public sector workers gain pay rises of up...

22 May 2025

Six ways to kickstart conversations about team stress...

22 May 2025

UK net migration slashed by half in one...

22 May 2025

How neuroscience can unlock employee recognition

22 May 2025

UK universities fret over fall in international students

22 May 2025

HSBC employees warned of office attendance link to...

22 May 2025

  • 2025 Employee Communications Report PROMOTED | HR and leadership...Read more
  • The Majority of Employees Have Their Eyes on Their Next Move PROMOTED | A staggering 65%...Read more
  • Prioritising performance management: Strategies for success (webinar) WEBINAR | In today’s fast-paced...Read more
  • Self-Leadership: The Key to Successful Organisations PROMOTED | Eletive is helping businesses...Read more
  • Retaining Female Talent: Four Ways to Reduce Workplace Drop Out PROMOTED | International Women’s Day...Read more

Personnel Today Jobs
 

Search Jobs

PERSONNEL TODAY

About us
Contact us
Browse all HR topics
Email newsletters
Content feeds
Cookies policy
Privacy policy
Terms and conditions

JOBS

Personnel Today Jobs
Post a job
Why advertise with us?

EVENTS & PRODUCTS

The Personnel Today Awards
The RAD Awards
Employee Benefits
Forum for Expatriate Management
OHW+
Whatmedia

ADVERTISING & PR

Advertising opportunities
Features list 2025

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Linkedin


© 2011 - 2025 DVV Media International Ltd

Personnel Today
  • Home
    • All PT content
  • Email sign-up
  • Topics
    • HR Practice
    • Employee relations
    • Learning & training
    • Pay & benefits
    • Wellbeing
    • Recruitment & retention
    • HR strategy
    • HR Tech
    • The HR profession
    • Global
    • All HR topics
  • Legal
    • Case law
    • Commentary
    • Flexible working
    • Legal timetable
    • Maternity & paternity
    • Shared parental leave
    • Redundancy
    • TUPE
    • Disciplinary and grievances
    • Employer’s guides
  • AWARDS
    • Personnel Today Awards
    • The RAD Awards
  • Jobs
    • Find a job
    • Jobs by email
    • Careers advice
    • Post a job
  • Brightmine
    • Learn more
    • Products
    • Free trial
    • Request a quote
  • Webinars
  • Advertise
  • OHW+