Almost half of all UK firms don't know how much time their staff spend online at work.

This lack of employer awareness follows recent incidents of staff using the Internet inappropriately at work, claims the research.

"Employees using the Internet inappropriately at work?" Oh, they mean clever Trevor and his bid for the title of world's worst boyfriend. Very good.

Despite widely publicised lapses such as this, research by ISP Star Internet found that a third of employers actively encourage their staff to use the Internet at work.

Star reckons this is a sign that employers are being more lenient when it comes to Net use in the office. It reckons this might be explained by the fact that the Net enables workers to carry out personal tasks such as shopping and booking holidays more quickly than if they left the office.

While this more mature attitude is to be welcomed, no employer is likely to tolerate anything that would jeopardise its business. The conclusion to all this? Companies need to come up with a coherent email usage policy that lets employees know what is, and is not acceptable.

Gosh, completely left field, never saw that one coming for love nor money. <Sigh>. ®

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