Are Your Employees Playing by the Internet Rules?

While some companies have turned to monitoring employees in the workplace, others oftentimes go on the “word of honor” system when it comes to seeing whether or not workers get their work done in a timely manner.

Some business owners have installed software on employee computers to monitor what sites the workers go on during the work day. Others, meantime, have placed timing software on office computers to see what time employees check in, when they take their breaks (and for how long), and when they check out for the day.

Now if all of this technology sounds like a little bit too much for your business, relax.

When you find the right software provider, you can enhance the chances of making sure your employees do their jobs and are not instead shopping online, communicating with friends, family and other co-workers, or even visiting sites that should be strictly prohibited in the workplace, i.e. gambling and pornography for starters.

Monitoring and Yet Not Spying

It can be a difficult call for some employers as to whether or not monitor employee computers to see what they are viewing online and whether or not they are arriving to and departing from work on their scheduled times.

While some view it as an invasion of privacy, others see it as a necessity, especially when you’re dealing with hundreds or more employees. Even some running small offices feel that it is necessary to install some sort of computer software to make sure everyone is playing by the same rules.

If your company feels the need for such software in order to schedule your employees, consider the following:

• Treat everyone the same – The worst thing you can do is play favorites in the office. If you want to install scheduling software to track employee schedules, do it for everyone. This can actually be valuable in a number of ways, including allowing employees to report electronically regarding shift request changes and more. Technology is advanced enough in today’s world where apps can handle this via iPhone and Android;

• Reduce absenteeism – By installing scheduling software, you can decrease the chances of absenteeism. Instead of relying on word-of-mouth or an email or text message that may or may not get there, using software to maintain and update each worker’s schedule makes things so much easier for both the boss and the worker;

• Know who the real workers are – Lastly, having scheduling software and that technology which monitors the sites employees visit serves two purposes. First, you know when each individual is showing up for work, if they take the appropriate break, and when they clock out for the day. Secondly, computer software to monitor the sites your employees click on allows you to see if they are spending too much time on various sites, most notably social sites like Facebook and Twitter for starters. If this becomes a problem, you always have the option of banning such sites.

Most importantly, business owners need their employees to put in the daily required hours. Without that policy in place, things can quickly get out of hand.

Take the time if you haven’t already to look at installing scheduling software in your operation, allowing you to keep a firm grip on your employees’ responsibilities to you, most notably, showing up for and leaving work in a timely manner.

About the Author: Dave Thomas writes for a variety of websites on topics such as human resources and running a small business.