Significant setback at the office
I read an article in The Japan Times this weekend about how companies are increasingly monitoring their employees’ use of the Internet on company time. Although this practice is understandable, I don’t think companies realize that restricting access to Web-based mail and online discussion groups may actually be counter-productive.
For example, I often find it very helpful to be able to ask questions about JavaScript, Perl, PHP, XML, or even the English language (which I seem to forget more and more of the longer I stay in Japan) at places like Yahoo Groups or evolt.org and so on. The information I get from these sources helps me work more effectively, which I think companies should understand and respect.
Unfortunately, however, starting this month, the company where I work has decided to cut off access to Web-based mail, mailing lists, chat groups, forums, and other sources of information. Just this morning, I noticed that I am no longer able to log in to my Web mail accounts or manage any of my Yahoo Groups. Although I acknowledge that it is still possible to get work done without these resources, it is a considerable inconvenience to be deprived of them. (And, sure, I freely admit that I use Web-based mail for personal correspondence while I am at work--but not in favor of getting work done.)
Until I can figure out a way to work around this prohibition, I’m afraid I will be a bit harder to reach than usual. I will only have unfettered Internet access from home, where I rarely have time to respond to the volume of mail I receive each day.
Sigh. The really ironic thing about this is that the company wants to treat me like an employee (which would give it the right to control how I work), but pay me as a contractor (which would not). Maybe it’s time to call more attention to my contractor status by insisting on telecommuting rather than showing up at the office each day. Or maybe it’s time to look for a new job--although I don’t have any reason to believe that any other company’s policies would be any more enlightened.
At any rate, I’m not pleased with this situation. Do you think the company would accept a request to increase my budget for reference materials to offset the loss of unrestricted access to most of my regular sources?
Go for the extra money sunshine!\r
\r
This has always been a big bee in my bonnet. Managers have to trust that their employees are doing the right thing and not spending 8 hours a day playing the Sims online or whatever...but the issue which is rarely confronted is how much work are you actually producing? Some of the people I worked with worked twice as slow as me - isn’t that more of a problem?\r
\r
And the quickest place to get cutting-edge info is right there at your fingertips. In a 2 minute search! Not in volumes of books printed months and months before.\r
\r
And what is next? Will you need passes to go to the dunny?
I know what you mean. I was going to add a section about asking for permission to use the restroom, but decided to leave it out.\r
\r
Also, about the productivity of coworkers: Why is it acceptable for most of my colleagues to take cigarette breaks (average duration: 10-20 minutes) several times a day, but not for me to spend a few minutes checking my mail?\r
\r
It’s not an issue of my work not getting done. I do all the work I am assigned--and then some!--well within my deadlines and budget requirements. There are no complaints in that area. \r
\r
Also, I would have no problem with a policy that restricted the use of Web mail to specific times of day (like during my lunch break, for example), but this is simply an across-the-board ban. \r
\r
I guess I should shut up before they start requiring me to check my keitai and PDA at the door, huh?
There is always keitai surfing and mo-blogging… alternatively there is the lap-top + PC card option that doesn’t go through the company network. Or just do what we do - start a company. (I suggest either one or both of the first two.)
Post a comment
Commenting is not available in this weblog entry.