is it stealing?

[lady cop]

a rhetorical question...if a person spends a considerable amount of time on forums, web surfing or personal email while at work, and is being paid for that time, is it stealing from the employer?

[SOJOURNER]

Originally Posted by lady cop

a rhetorical question...if a person spends a considerable amount of time on forums or personal email while at work, and is being paid for that time, is it stealing from the employer?

OH YEAH!!!!!!! SURE IS.

[venus]

Well l suppose so technically it could be seen as stealing as it is there power, access etc

[Nomad]

Yes of course. Your boss shouldnt have to babysit you to make sure your doing what your being paid to do. If your paid x dollars an hr. then you should give the equivelant in time, effort and diligence towards the companies purpose.

[nvalleyvee]

I vote stealing. You are paid to do a job not take care care of personal business.

[CountryDweller]

Absolutely, not question about it.

I love it when I get to disagree...

If you hire someone to do a job and the job gets done, they are no more stealing from you then the co-workers standing at the coffee machine or out back having a smoke. Folks send off birthday cards, call and check on an ailing parent or to make arrangements to meet for lunch... if someone wants to keep a forum up in the background and add their comments from time to time throughout the day it is the same as the ongoing department discussion over...let's say the vikings 'by week adventures off the field'. It is also less distracting to co-workers who may not have their work caught up.

Folks waste time at every job that is not piecework. It's part of life. And factored into the work life in a company.

[nvalleyvee]

Flop - I agree with you IF you have that kind of job. Most corporations would rather you sit around and twiddle your thumbs contemplating the amount of lint in your navel than you getting on the internet.

[actionfigurestepho]

I don't think it's stealing either, as long as work gets done first. Which would you get in trouble for more, spending 4-5pm online or just leaving at 4?

Originally Posted by nvalleyvee

Flop - I agree with you IF you have that kind of job. Most corporations would rather you sit around and twiddle your thumbs contemplating the amount of lint in your navel than you getting on the internet.

If that's the case, there is nothing stopping companies from only allowing email on the machines, if that. the machines don't have to have internet browsing. Companies have the ability to limit an employee to anything they care to limit them to, anymore. heck, where i work, attachments to emails only open after a scan for possible viruses and spyware, and some we don't allow in at all just based on the file type. They can also limit the times the access is available.

Folks that abuse the internet in the work place are the same ones that would abuse the phones and the coffee and lunch breaks. They are the same ones that are never found in their own department doing the job, they are off disrupting other departments. Most folks understand that they are expected to get the job done, and they do, in spite of roaming the world online.