It’s NFL Fantasy Football Season! Are your company internet policies ready for some football?
It is that time of the year again! The NFL football season starts in September, so that means all your employees who are football junkies (like me) have been surfing the internet to prepare for this year’s NFL fantasy football season. Yes, hours upon hours per week, a certain number of your employees will research NFL player statistics on company computers and during work hours (not me of course).
Every employer has to manage their employee’s internet usage, but how do you do it? Research has shown that more than 50% of employees frequently visit non-work related sites daily while they are “on-the-clock” and being paid by the company. This is an increasing issue that affects the productivity of employees.
So what does an employer do to address the Fantasy Football fanatics who spend more time researching the top NFL running backs instead of doing their assigned tasks? First, identify what internet usage policies are in place, if any. If you don’t have any policies, now is the time to think about implementing one. Your policies should clearly state that internet use should be primarily for business use and any excessive personal use may subject the employee to disciplinary action. It is also important to tell your employees that the company reserves the right to monitor all internet usage for the purpose of protecting its interests and monitoring compliance with company policies. Many times the abuse of the internet will manifest itself through poor work performance or insubordination, but sometimes it will not. Bottom line, it’s more important now than in prior years to ensure you have a playbook on your company’s internet policy that sets the rules and penalties of employee internet usage.
Every employer has to manage their employee’s internet usage, but how do you do it? Research has shown that more than 50% of employees frequently visit non-work related sites daily while they are “on-the-clock” and being paid by the company. This is an increasing issue that affects the productivity of employees.
So what does an employer do to address the Fantasy Football fanatics who spend more time researching the top NFL running backs instead of doing their assigned tasks? First, identify what internet usage policies are in place, if any. If you don’t have any policies, now is the time to think about implementing one. Your policies should clearly state that internet use should be primarily for business use and any excessive personal use may subject the employee to disciplinary action. It is also important to tell your employees that the company reserves the right to monitor all internet usage for the purpose of protecting its interests and monitoring compliance with company policies. Many times the abuse of the internet will manifest itself through poor work performance or insubordination, but sometimes it will not. Bottom line, it’s more important now than in prior years to ensure you have a playbook on your company’s internet policy that sets the rules and penalties of employee internet usage.
Please remember this blog provides general recommendations regarding an employer’s internet policies, and it is not intended to provide any guidance regarding the upcoming NFL fantasy football season. Because internet policies must also address social media issues in addition to employees who conduct all their fantasy football research on work time, please contact Monty & Ramirez for a free consultation to discuss your internet policies to ensure the policies comply with the ever-changing social media and internet issues.
Daniel N. Ramirez is a named partner at Monty & Ramirez LLP. He is board certified in labor and employment law by the Texas Board of Specialization and has been recognized as a Rising Star by Super Lawyers magazine.
Daniel's Contact Information:
Email: dramirez@montyramirezlaw.com
Telephone: 281.493.5529
Website: http://www.montyramirezlaw.com
Labels: fantasy football, internet, policies
posted by Monty & Ramirez LLP
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8:03 AM
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