Web policing is not a new phenomenon in Indian offices, but employees are beginning to wonder why instant messengers like Google’s Gtalk or social networking sites are such a taboo when they can be used for client meetings and discussions.
Amit Khanna, an investment banker at Barclays’ is one such user. He has everything going for him at work — the money, perks, and of course his cushy job. But there is one thing which bothers this banker. “We can’t access a big chunk of websites, including our personal emails,” he rues.
According to an HR manager at Nokia, who did not wish to be quoted. “The company implements strict guidelines for web usage (at work) to discourage easy distractions. Employees tend to take things for granted and may neglect work,” Nokia’s HR manger adds, requesting anonymity. A few large Indian corporates follow strict internet guidelines too. For instance, at Infosys, all personal mails, instant messengers and even job portals are blocked. Social networking sites are a big no-no, as are sites pertaining to any form of entertainment, like games or YouTube. “Whatever one might say, it does hamper productivity in the long run,” says a chief technology officer of a well-known software company, who wished to remain anonymous.
Installing tracking software is an accepted practice at most workplaces, which helps in tracking employees’ web habits. Monitoring products vary from piecemeal to comprehensive solutions. Websense, for example, is a frequently used product to monitor employees’ internet usage and can filter out websites. Likewise, MIMEsweeper, is a popular e-mail monitoring product. According to In-Stat reports, globally around 40 per cent of businesses monitor employees’ web usage, with half of them also taking action to block certain sites considered inappropriate.
In their defense, most IT services companies or outsourcing majors provide cyber cafes with unrestricted internet connection within their campus, which can be accessed whenever the employee feels the need. An option that only some employees think suffice their internet needs. As per various study surveys, the average employee spends between one and two hours each day using the internet at work for personal reasons. The usage ranges widely from playing games to instant-messaging friends and co-workers. People also are reported using the internet at work to perform innocent, but still personal, tasks such as shopping and banking.
A senior executive of an IT company voiced that technology-savvy employees do not give up attempts to access gaming sites like Zapak from their office networks. Although he does acknowledge, “A certain amount of employee ‘undertime’ — which is stealing off time during the workday for appropriate personal needs, to compensate for heavier workloads and more stress — should be allowed if the employee is discreet and otherwise efficient.”
Not all companies adopt a Big Brother-like attitude. Some do understand the need of ‘taking a break’ from work. For instance, at most ad agencies , there are no such policies in place, and as Mahesh Chauhan, CEO Rediffusion DYR puts it, “What’s the point of doing all this”, he wonders. “As long as they are serious about the job and delivering results, it’s all good.”
There are certain companies, which adopt a more lenient stance on web policing but there are certain codes which shouldn’t be breached, which essentially means no pornographic content, no games, and no downloads. “We allow sites like Facebook or Twitter as they are actually good places to network,” says a marketing head of an Indian telecom company.
