July 2004

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 » E-mail poses the biggest danger » Ending ageism at work
 

E-mail poses the biggest danger

UK employers are much more likely to discipline staff for excessive or inappropriate use of e-mail rather than for misusing the internet.

A survey of 356 UK employers covering all sizes and many different industries shows that in the last two years, nearly half the organisations surveyed have disciplined staff for excessive personal use of e-mail, while a quarter have disciplined staff for inappropriate e-mail attachments. Figures for internet misuse are much lower — only 15% of organisations report cases of employees downloading pornography, while 13% cite instances of employees spending excessive time surfing the internet.

The Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), which conducted the research, says that more than a third of UK employers report no problems with staff misuse of e-mail or the internet.

Issuing a verbal or written warning is the most popular disciplinary measure for those who have reported problems, although it is noticeable that just over half say that they took no action in at least 'some instances.' Evidence from the follow-up focus groups strongly suggests that organisations are generally taking a more relaxed approach to disciplining staff for these abuses, with many opting to 'have a quiet word' or 'send a department memo without naming a particular individual'.


 

Common themes in e-mail and internet policies include: setting how much personal use of the facilities is allowed; guidelines on 'acceptable use' including warnings on downloading or disseminating any material that could be construed as offensive; plus a clear warning to employees that their e-mail and internet activities may be subject to monitoring.

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Ending ageism at work

Employers are being urged to support initiatives that encourage employees of all ages to receive the employment and training opportunities they deserve.

The government is trying encourage the ending of work place discrimination on the grounds of age in advance of the introduction of anti-age discrimination legislation — which is due to become law in October 2006.

Many employment experts say the issue of discrimination by age is no different from race, gender or disability discrimination, apart from being legal in the past. Because the issue has not received the same amount of attention, the legislation has been slow to evolve. This is now likely to change over the next two years.

The two year period before age discrimination becomes illegal can be used to transform the culture of organisations. Changing people's attitudes is the key to introducing new practices in hiring, promotion and development. It is important not to stereotype individuals according to their age — either because they are young or because they are old.

Age diversity initiatives can benefit organisations through:

  • The use of experienced staff as mentors to younger team members

  • Access to training grants as part of the Age Positive 50 Plus scheme

  • Reducing staff turnover through employing older staff

  • Relating to the market for the 'grey pound' through the workforce or relating to the much younger market by promoting people who are still in their 20's.

 

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 In Brief

This newsletter has been prepared for general interest and it is important to obtain professional advice on specific issues. We believe the information contained in it to be correct at the time of publication. While all possible care is taken in the preparation of this newsletter, no responsibility for loss occasioned by any person acting or refraining from acting as a result of the material contained herein can be accepted by the firm, the authors or the publishers.