Is it a good idea for companies to give people at work unlimited
access to the Web? Or is unfettered access an invitation for
employees to be distracted by the chance to pursue their personal
interests?
The issue has divided corporations in all business sectors
including travel. Some firms allow unlimited access, but spot-check
employees to be sure that they're not spending too much time on
sites unrelated to their work.
But in many companies, including a number of travel agencies,
Web access either is limited to pre-selected sites or is blocked.
The ranks of agencies blocking Web access include some of the
larger companies, many with their own Web sites and high volumes of
e-mail.
Despite the vaunted power of the Web for travel research, these
agencies fear that their employees' productivity will be reduced if
full access is available.
But is the decision to limit Web access wise? And does it do
more harm than good by conveying to employees that their
managements don't trust them to use the Internet appropriately?
Potential distractions always have existed in the workplace.
Fellow workers may spend too much time chatting at each other's
desks, reading unrelated material or engaging in long personal
phone conversations.
I remember one case some years back when an employee in my
company was found to have made repeated, and expensive, phone calls
to his girlfriend in the Middle East. The employee was reprimanded
and required to pay for the calls. By handling this matter in a
case-by-case fashion, the company avoided having to maintain a
restrictive environment.
Wouldn't it better to do the same kind of thing with the
Internet? Companies could establish guidelines for proper use of
this resource and then could monitor activity to keep everyone
honest.
The irony of the no-Web policy is that employees who might abuse
the privilege of Web access are probably the same ones who will
continue to find ways to whittle away the hours in unrelated
activities.
For the rest of the workforce, the ability to harness the power
of the Web should be available. The free use of the Web is likely
to pay dividends for business owners.