Net-addicted workers: You are under watch

By Wang Hongyi (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-05-02 09:46

SHANGHAI:Shopping online, private e-mailing or checking stock quotes for personal investment while at work? Be careful. The boss might be watching, and your job might be at stake.

That's the warning from an alliance of more than 20 companies based mainly in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

The group, made up mostly of IT companies, is targeting "Net-addicted" workers who spend at least two hours a day conducting personal affairs on company computers - and on company time. These employees also indulge in virtual games and other non-work related online activities that end up reducing workplace productivity.

"It is understandable that over-stressed workers need some way to 'relax', especially in an economic downturn, but that's not an excuse to demand more surfing time from their companies," 31-year-old Huang Xiangru, one of the alliance's initiators, told China Daily.

"Even if your boss doesn't care, that doesn't mean you can visit whatever sites you want, and send e-mail to whomever and about whatever you want," he said.

Zheng Jin, a supervisor of a Tianjin-based trading company that is considering joining the alliance, said "such temptation is always present, especially in fields of employment where one experiences a lot of down time".

Putting in place methods and mechanisms to police or track employees' use of the office Internet remain some of the most effective ways to plug the problem, the alliance said in a statement.

Another 30 companies across various industries are also reportedly set to join the group.

Data from the Ministry of Industry and Information suggest that the number of Chinese Internet users surpassed 300 million by the end of January.

About 10 percent of the country's 40 million underage Net users are addicted to the Web, an official report released recently showed.

"We are going to stop employees' personal use of the Internet primarily through guidance and persuasion," said Hai Xia, a representative from the Shanghai-based Bapima Company, a member of the alliance.

Company representatives from the alliance said they are considering adopting technological ways to limit the use of and access to non-job related websites at work.

"Company policies aside, it isn't wise enough to spend a lot of time online. After all, employees are getting paid to do their real job," said human resources manager Lillian Tao.

"But a line must also be drawn to ensure the employees don't feel as though they've been unjustifiably restricted," she said.