Posting or netsurfing while "at the office".

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

This is an interesting ethical question.

Is is OK to post at non-work-related message boards or surf the net while at work..whether that work is public sector or private sector?

I've heard that some companys are "OK" with their employees doing this, as long as the work gets done, and I guess this is a reasonable policy, but on a personal, ethical level, is is "right" to do this? To use company or government (if you work for the govt) and time for personal non-job-related things?

[molly]

1. If you don't think that they "capture" everything you do

think again.

[Bush_Eats_Beef]

11. Yeah, for anyone who doubts...

...do a Google search on "keystroke logger."

[liberalitch]

12. I do it while my students are in other activies...

Or on my planning bell.... Right now is good because they're in Family Life Education (which I might add, the republicans in Va. fought against tooth and nail). All the papers are graded, the grades are turned in, the room is packed (switching classrooms)

[NewJeffCT]

2. I work a lot of hours, and...

I work a good amount of hours, plus am the one that drives our daughter to day care each morning & picks her up at night. Plus, I do most of the house work. My wife has a much longer commute than me and often has to call overseas at night for work as well.

So, if I can check out the news online, buy a birthday or Christmas gift, check DU, etc, I will do it.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

3. You said it yourself

...some companys are "OK" with their employees doing this, as long as the work gets done, and I guess this is a reasonable policy...

It is exactly as ethical as getting up and getting a cup of the free coffee the company offers. They wouldn't be offering any if it was "unethical", would them?

Office workers aren't assembly line workers. They don't have to be "in the act of producing goods for the company" 100% of the time.

[Waverley_Hills_Hiker]

4. I voted no.

Maybe during lunchtime, but generally speaking I don't think its right. As I said this is independent of any company or office policy, just my personal feeling on it.

[terrya]

5. Hey, I'll pay for it, if it's simply a matter of cost.

They can deduct $40 a month from my paycheck if my employers are going to object about the cost of my internet usage. They can knock themselves out.

My work does get done. I've read technical manuals till I'm blue in the face. I'm not going to sit at my desk, staring into space and twiddle my thumbs.

And about going to DU. It's a place just to chat mostly for me.

[many a good man]

6. No. Not if you're supposed to be working.

OTOH, periodic diversions from the tedium of the modern electronic workplace help improve my productivity...

:argh:

[RebelOne]

7. I voted no even though I am on the Web during the day

But I sort of feel guilty.

[eyesroll]

8. I posted this in the other thread

I use personal time for job-related things (I have a day off today, and I still answered an e-mail; sometimes, I write entire articles from home). So if I use job time for personal things, it's pretty well an even trade.

Then again, I'm salaried/exempt and in a very project-oriented environment. My screwing around on the Internet in no way interferes with my ability to get my job done. There is downtime (yesterday, for instance, I had 5 different things I was waiting on and absolutely nothing I could do until other people got back to me) and my employer doesn't really care what I do with it, as long as I'm there.

[ladjf]

9. I'm an IT worker.

I frequently find myself in situations where I might have multiple jobs running on my terminal. All I can do at that point is wait for them to finish. I see no harm in checking out the news while waiting.
Further, I often work overtime (salaried) which is the nature of computer work. This includes many nights and weekends.

I don't know what my company's policy is on INTERNET usage other than no porn, illegal downloading and , of course, no doing outside work for pay. I can tell you this with certainty, if your company so desires, they definitely have the means to record every keystroke you make.

[Misunderestimator]

10. I work 12 - 14 hours a day, and get more accomplished than necessary...

spending a few minutes here once in a while instead of 15 minutes taking a cigarette or coffee break... I have no ethical problem with it whatsoever.