Can't wait to message your friends? Maybe you should. The
boss could be watching.
Companies these days are trying to squeeze out more productivity,
and one way to do that is to limit the time employees are
able to spend on social web sites.
“You're allowed to visit Facebook for 10 minutes out of
the day. After 10 minutes, we're going to cut your time out,”
said Charles Love, technical services manager of Big Sur
Technologies in Tampa, speaking about one of the policies
set by his clients.
Employers pay Big Sur Technologies to keep an eye on what
employees are looking at online.
Charles Love is even able to set up the boss to track an
employee’s internet surfing from an office on a completely
different floor.
“Management can see the mouse moving, and they can see all
the key strokes,” said Love.
“It's entirely legal,” said law professor Tim Kaye of Stetson
University. “Whatever goes on during normal work hours with
the employer’s equipment is a matter for the employer to
control.”
Professor Kaye says this standard generally applies even
when employees are using these sites to get their work done.
A recent survey shows there may be good reason for companies
to worry about social networking sites. Of employees who
have a Facebook page, 77 percent said they’re on it during
work hours, but only 13 percent of that same group said they
had a business reason to do so.
“Some companies encourage their employees to go on Twitter
or Facebook to publicize the company. So while you're there,
it rather depends on what you expect the employee to be doing,”
Kaye said.
Kaye offered this advice for employees:
“I suspect the best defense for an employee is to be a productive
employee. If you’re getting the job done, and everyone get
on with me, then there will be less reason to start investigating
you,” he said.
About Big Sur Technologies, Inc.
Big Sur Technologies, Inc is a services and consulting organization
that provides Information Technology Solutions to commercial,
government, medical, and educational accounts throughout
the Southeastern US. We provide a single point of contact
for a wide variety of network services, hardware sales
and software licensing. Big Sur Technologies has developed
a consulting team that offers unique technical skills for
Novell, Linux, Timespring Cisco, Messaging Architects,
and Microsoft Software Technologies. We have an impressive
success story that spans the last 6 years, covering medium
to large, to enterprise accounts. More information about
Big Sur Technologies, Inc. can be found at www.bigsurtech.com .
Serving: Tampa, Clearwater, St. Petersburg, Safety Harbor, Largo, Seminole,
St. Pete Beach, Indian Rocks Beach, Treasure Island, Gulfport, South Pasadena,
Oldsmar, Ruskin, Apollo Beach, Gibsonton, Riverview, Valrico, Holiday,
Palm Harbor, Trinity, Tarpon Springs, Odessa, Lutz, Wesley Chapel, Thonotosassa,
Seffner, Dover, Plant City, Lakeland, Dade City, Hudson, Brooksville, Homosassa,
Dunedin, New Port Richey, Spring Hill, Zephyrhills, Orlando, Maitland,
Winter Park, Winter Garden, Sanford, Oviedo, Ocoee, Altamonte Springs,
Apopka, Casselberry, Longwood, Gotha, Sarasota, Venice, Osprey, Nokomis,
Bradenton, Palmetto, Myakka City, Arcadia, Englewood, Port Charlotte, Fort
Myers, Naples, Oneco, Wauchula, Punta Gorda
