E-mail abuse leads to dismissal in almost one third of UK firms

The survey of 316 public and private UK organisations suggests that 94% of UK organisations have an e-mail or internet policy.

Sixty percent of organisations have problems with e-mail or internet misuse and, of them, 42% have dismissed staff and 27% have suspended staff. Private sector employees are more likely to be dismissed than public sector staff.

Earlier this month, the Sunday Telegraph reported that BT alone had sacked 200 staff in the past 18 months for accessing pornography at work.

Richard Goff, the survey's author, commented on the scale of the problem:

"E-mail and internet abuse remains a real concern for most organisations, particularly the legal ramifications over misuse. It is encouraging therefore to see such a high proportion with e-mail and internet policies in place.

"On the flip side however, excessive monitoring on the part of the employer can stifle creativity and more importantly trust, an essential ingredient of the relationship between employers and staff. Internet and e-mail have become essential communication tools and there are times when using them for matters unrelated to work is necessary."

The question of monitoring employees is a difficult one for employers. Two weeks ago, Information Commissioner Richard Thomas tried to clarify matters by publishing a Code of Practice which provides guidance for employers on monitoring employees' internet and e-mail use.

"The fundamental message," said the Commissioner, "is that, where monitoring does take place, employees should be made aware of its nature and extent and the reasons for carrying it out. Only in exceptional circumstances will it be appropriate for employers to monitor their employees without their knowledge."

The survey will be available for downloading from 27th June from: www.cipd.co.uk/Infosource/Listofseries/
CIPDSurveyReports.asp? (registration required)