Home topics workplace hr-and-staff Managing Staff Managing What staff web misuse is costing your business Kerri-Anne Turner June 19, 2009 Do your employees spend time internet shopping , playing online games or downloading pirated movies? Can you trust your staff on the net ? For small businesses in Australia, the internet has changed behaviour in the workplace and created new challenges for managers. Kerri-Anne Turner explores the implications of web misuse for your business . As a small business, where do you draw the line? Is it okay to send the occasional personal email at work? What about a little internet shopping? But what about spending time on social networking sites, playing online games, downloading pirated movies and music, reading and sending inappropriate emails, gambling online or downloading porn? For small businesses in Australia, the internet has created new opportunities for mischief and new challenges for managers. Worldwide worries Three out of four employers have had to deal with employees who waste time online, according to a recent survey by Employment Review magazine. Companies had problems with employees misusing email, blogs and damaging comments about the company posted online. A large proportion of corporate web traffic is for non-work purposes. More than two-thirds of online porn traffic occurs during office hours. This web misuse can have serious implications for your business: Reduced productivity. If employees spend their time on a social networking site such as Facebook, they’re not spending it doing their job. Nielsen Online reported in March 2009: “Two-thirds