Its possible that employees go onto these sites because they don’t realise that there is a policy that prohibits the from doing so. Organisations need to make sure that any policy they have is widely communicated ; easily accessible. Many organisations use their intranet site to do this as all employees should have access to it. With it clear for the employees to access, it also needs to be understandable to them ; make sure that they no what policies they’re are, why they have them & the disciplinary procedures that are in place should they break these.
Training on policies is something that should be in place when employees start & be done on a regular basis to make sure they’re aware of these ; the repercussions. Grievances can occur if the policy is encouraged too much, but as with most grievances it could lead to widespread as some employees might not express their grievances, this opinion is shared by Torrington ; Hall (2005) by saying ‘Grievances are rare since few employees will openly question their superior’s judgement whatever their private opinion may be ; fewer still will risk being stigmatised as a trouble maker.
‘ In some cases the internet has become an addiction for some workers & with he social networking sites growth over the last few years its quite possible that employees could become addicted to using these sites, as an organisation providing them help should not only prevent them from continuing to do this but will also help the employee as it will also show the commitment & faith they have in their staff.
If employees are caught in violation of the policies set it could also be a deterrence in the way in which their disciplined, by going down the correct channels it will show that the organisation takes it serious, but also the use of a line manager could help as they are the people who are generally closer to the employees and are more likely o take comments on board. What Stages organisations must go through to correct the employee behaviours
There are several ways in which an organisation can work to correct the behaviour of an employee including the implementation of a Internet usage Policy, the culture of an organisation & the procedures put in place to make sure offenders are put off. When creating a policy the organisation needs to make sure that the distribution & awareness of the policy is understood throughout the company; using the intranet, handing out the policy & having it visible within the working environment.
The creation of the policy needs to fit in with the culture of the organisation, for example if the organisation is laid back & has a less strict approach to rules then it should be reflected in the policy. This also applies to organisations where the rules are very strict, introduction of this method may cause resentment amongst staff & have a negative effect on morale. This philosophy is seen by Foster (2001) who comments ‘A positive culture will naturally inspire employees to be more productive in their duties, and less likely to waste time using the internet for personal use.
‘ Highlighting the repercussions not only on a disciplinary basis but highlighting company awareness showing the negative effects it could have on the company like security, hacking & theft, this can also lead to damage to reputation & loos of earnings. The monitoring of employees will affect the way in which employees use it, underlining the timescales, procedures & disciplinary action in regards to this will make employees more cautious when breaking the policy.
Monitoring can cost the organisation more money tan implementing the right procedures to correct behaviour; it can also mean that several hours more are spent by a manager which means they have less time to do their job. This aid with these factors in consideration having the right procedures in place should mean that managers spend more time influencing their staff to achieve results, rather than being overbearing & not being trusted by the staff as they will feel as though their every move is being tracked.
Rewarding the employer for good behaviour & not misusing the internet will give the employees the incentive to not access the internet. An example of rewarding the employees for this could be allowing access at certain times, prizes & competitions. The disciplinary procedures that the organisations set are key as employees will not know what happens should they break the rules & hopefully become a deterrent. There are many elements to the disciplinary procedure and each organisation will fit it to the way in which they work; these include formal warning, procedures, investigation & representation.
Having a verbal warning, followed by written one will mean that any employee who’s been found in breach of the policy will have plenty of chances to rectify there behaviour. The way in which the organisation investigates any activity should be fair ; documented ; give timescales for how long it will last. When warning an employee the employer should also document in regards to representation the employee can have. Organisation could make employees sign an agreement regarding the policy ; this will mean they have a physical copy of the policy ; also put responsibility on them to make sure they abide by it.
Training could be used to affect the employee’s behaviour, if implemented to all current staff & new entrants it would transcend the message they’re looking to portray. If the policy is broken ; employees are found in misuse of the internet training could be further used to ensure effectively, this could also mean they may not have to go down the disciplinary stages. Working closely with the employees ; using internal marketing will allow them to believe in the organisation ; want to achieve results as they will benefit in return. The company could give back in return with rewards, incentives ; recognition.
When disciplining staff it could be done in different ways depending on the organisation. With organisations that are team oriented then a team discipline could be deployed, this will put more reliance on doing well for the team. This method should be implemented carefully as if done incorrect could lead to a grievance of not only one person but a whole team. Also implementing managerial disciplinary could give managers further purpose in ensuring staff stay within the rules ; generally managers can be inspirational ; act as a motivator to staff.
