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Are your employees spending far too much surfing the internet during their working hours? Do you feel like you’re being taken advantage of every time you walk past an unsuspecting employee’s cubicle and see him skimming through his Facebook feed or ordering a new sweater online? Do you feel any differently if you notice that he’s actually making a dentist appointment for his child or signing himself up for a blood donation?

Studies measuring at-work internet usage suggest a simple two-fold truth about the relationship between bosses and the web: 1.) The internet has a become a fixture in the modern workplace and is here to stay, and 2.) While it may make some bosses uncomfortable, it’s better not to fight it, but to find peace with it and make the most of its presence in the office.

The Internet: A Reality of Modern Working Life

The decision to wage war on internet use and internet accessibility rarely ends well for employers. Cracking down on employees who are caught web surfing on company time is unwise, since this policy is difficult to enforce in a fair way. And even if employers enlist the help of the IT department to formally monitor internet use, this decision tends to waste valuable IT resources and foster unproductive resentment. Besides, many employees can connect to the internet using their own networks and mobile devices. So blocking popular sites like social media and private email accounts won’t actually encourage employees to make better use of their time; in reality, it only annoys them and undermines a spirit of mutual trust.

Make the Internet Your Friend

Instead of launching into an unwinnable war against a form of employee behavior that’s difficult to monitor and even harder to regulate, employers are wise to make peace with the internet and use it to their advantage. This becomes easier when companies recognize that internet use isn’t really a drain on employee’s time, and in fact, most at-work internet use conducted by employees involves taking care of small personal tasks (like dentist appointments) that would otherwise require them to leave the office early or take longer breaks during the day.

Recognize the internet as a valuable tool that not only keeps employees onsite for longer hours, but also allows them to conduct research, stay connected to each other via messaging and social media, and take the short five minute breaks that keep them focused during the rest of the day. Trust your employees to complete their work within assigned deadlines and then let them complete this work on their own terms. For more information on how to let go of your internet-related management anxiety, reach out to the experienced Texas staffing pros at Expert.

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