Why do workers use the Internet at work?
Internet usage has become an indispensable tool for many companies to maintain efficient work processes. At the same time, it also plays an important role in distracting employees from their work. Since most social activities take place online, employees can easily chat online instead of performing their duties during work hours. For this reason, companies are constantly looking for constructive ways to monitor Internet activity and limit these distractions at work, such as using Internet monitoring software.
How much time do employees actually spend working online?
More than you can imagine!
According to an article in Forbes, employees spend at least 10 hours a week on non-work-related online activities. Today, many Internet distractions can lead employees to visit irrelevant or inappropriate sites. As a result, a lot of billable time is lost without being noticed.
After more than 20 years of experience as an expert in employee monitoring and customer feedback, a significant proportion of employees abuse their Internet privileges at work. At one company, employees were spending most of their work time on social media (Facebook, Twitter, and Google+). The two most used weekly reports were the five employees who used social media the most and the employees who used the Internet the most for personal use.
Monitoring online activity with the right tools can help employees resist temptations they find hard to resist at work, such as YouTube, gaming, sports sites, online shopping, banking, and social media platforms.
How can employers manage non-productive online activities?
The Internet is used as a productivity tool, but it can also interfere with work efficiency. That’s where tools to monitor Internet use at work can help. For example, Internet monitoring software is a popular way to combat excessive Internet use by workers.
In general, Internet monitoring software helps analyze Internet usage. It can keep an overview.
- Websites/URLs visited.
- Duration of Internet use (when and how long employees used the Internet).
- On which computer the Internet activities took place.
- The employee’s login name/user name.
- Whether the purpose of the Internet use was private or professional.
This tool allows you to assess your employees’ work efficiency and minimize the time they spend on distractions outside of work – from social networking (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) to shopping, gaming, etc.
Example of Internet monitoring software for employees
So how can you monitor Internet usage?
With EMS, you can monitor your employees’ internet usage and determine how often they use social media during work hours. In addition to monitoring the websites/URLs visited, EMS also records the employee’s login name, time and duration of Internet use, and the history of websites/URLs visited. EMS monitors users’ Internet usage regardless of location (office-based employees, remote employees, telecommuting employees).
What do you get with Internet Monitoring Software?
Internet monitoring software provides the user with a series of useful features. One of the main benefits of this technology is that it allows you to identify at a glance certain trends and levels of Internet usage (especially when employees feel that certain information is being withheld). For example, EMS Internet monitoring software provides employers with reports that show them exactly how their employees use the Internet.
How can Internet monitoring software help your business?
– Internet activity monitoring
Online activity monitoring prevents employees from visiting non-work-related websites during work hours. Knowing that employees are monitoring their online activities prevents them from wasting time on social media, shopping, or gaming when they should be working. By monitoring their online activities, you can also limit their access to sites that could pose a threat to the health of your business.
– Improved employee productivity
EMS Internet monitoring software increases employee productivity by at least 3-20%. 3-20% is the average time employees spend on personal interests (including low traffic, browsing, social media, etc.) EMS can help employees spend non-productive time online and Increase productivity by highlighting and reducing time spent online.
– Save money for your business
With Internet monitoring software, your company can save money on employee salaries. Facebook alone takes up 30% of employee time. In some companies with 20 to 100 employees, Internet browsing accounts for about 50% of total work time. EMS can help cut costs by reducing unproductive time to zero.
– Provide accurate information.
Internet monitoring software provides a realistic view of your Internet usage. This information can be used in a variety of ways in your business. Besides increasing productivity.
The reports generated can help to
- Develop strategies and improve discipline in the workplace.
- Involve your employees and identify useful websites for their work.
- Identify signs of negative impact on productivity and show how much time employees are losing.
Internet Monitoring Policy
If you want to start monitoring your employees’ internet or create an internet monitoring policy to ensure employees are using company devices, networks, and internet access correctly, our monitoring experts have created a free eBook that simplifies this process.
About Author
Sarah Noah Liam is a 28-year-old Software Management person who enjoys programming, employee tracking software free, and screen recording. She has a post-graduate degree in Computer science. She was raised in a happy family home with two loving parents.