Rules on E-mail.....Any suggestions?

[dQApprentice]

In Reply to Parent Post by Bev D

....you dont' know that you actually have a Problem. Nor do you know if the 'improvement' in the wasted time is worth the morale impact of not treating your employees like adults.

By the way - under your new policy how will using company assets to visit the cove be treated? How will you enforce it?

Leave your staff alone and let them do whatever they want e.g. visit the Cove, chat, or play online games as long as they produce expected result. I can accept visiting the Cove , surfing the net for a constructive reason.

However, online chat and online games

Allow your employees forward/send an email with pictures of nude women and call it wholesome, down-to-earth appreciation for the beauty of the female body.

In Reply to Parent Post by Jim Wynne

there's a difference between someone surfing the net and not doing what he's supposed to be doing and sending an email message that has no effect on productivity.

There’s a big difference between doing the job at the same time doing bad things (personal matter). Is it ok to steal as long as you donate? Give your son all the condoms he want since boy will be boy and he is going to do it anyway, so he can have all the fun he desire. It doesn’t matter what the President does in private, as long as the economy is good. Those are not acceptable reasoning.

I preciate policies so employees will know which are allowed and prohibited. We value employees. If we want what’s best for them (who doesn’t?) we better establish good policies. It’s just how you will make the tone of your policies.

[Jim Wynne]

In Reply to Parent Post by Panchobook

My granpa used to say that common sense is the least common of the senses. The appropriateness of certain behaviors are ambiguous by circumstance or by culture. The policy is a tool to help clear up those ambiguities in a consistent manner.

Dealing with individuals always suffices. Again, a policy is a tool for that dealing.

I don't think that having policies, per se, is a bad thing. Some are necessary. But if the idea of wasting large amounts of time when one should be working is ambiguous, something is seriously wrong that a policy isn't going to help. Quoth Dr. Deming: Substitute leadership.

[Jim Wynne]

In Reply to Parent Post by dQApprentice

If you are the employer, will you allow your employees mix official business and personal matters together?

Should we allow people to talk to each other about things that aren't work-related? Is that the question?

[Jim Wynne]

In Reply to Parent Post by dQApprentice

Allow your employees forward/send an email with pictures of nude women and call it wholesome, down-to-earth appreciation for the beauty of the female body.
There’s a big difference between doing the job at the same time doing bad things (personal matter). Is it ok to steal as long as you donate? Give your son all the condoms he want since boy will be boy and he is going to do it anyway, so he can have all the fun he desire. It doesn’t matter what the President does in private, as long as the economy is good. Those are not acceptable reasoning.

I preciate policies so employees will know which are allowed and prohibited. We value employees. If we want what’s best for them (who doesn’t?) we better establish good policies. It’s just how you will make the tone of your policies.

Sorry, but you're constructing strawmen. If you equate personal conversation (verbal or otherwise) as "bad things" and don't understand the difference between doing something that has no negative consequences and something that does, you're not the right person to be involved in policy-making, I'm afraid.

[dQApprentice]

In Reply to Parent Post by Jim Wynne

Should we allow people to talk to each other about things that aren't work-related? Is that the question?

Thanks Jim but you are rephrasing my question that resulted to a different meaning. you're constructing strawmen also

[dQApprentice]

In Reply to Parent Post by dQApprentice

Thanks Jim but you are rephrasing my question that resulted to a different meaning. you're constructing strawmen also

The truth is i agree with you Jim. However, there needs to be some guidelines to limit the use for personal purposes. There is always someone in the company who will abuse it.

[JAltmann]

In Reply to Parent Post by Jim Wynne

Should we allow people to talk to each other about things that aren't work-related? Is that the question?

Ha beat me to asking this question. If you wish to maintain a happy work environment you need to allow some relaxation in the environment. Hmm would i wish to work for an employer that was so stringent with allowing people to relax some at work? As has already been mentioned employees should not be wasting all their time on non-work related tasks, nor do i think they should be looking at or forwarding questionable material at work (e adult, games, etc..). But i should be able to trust my employees and supervise them in a manner that i know if they are working or loafing and handle it accordingly.

Also in todays day and age with company issed laptops, smartphones and cellphones i expect my employee to be reachable anywhere at anytime i need to be somewhat leanient if they also use the device for personal tasks. Or should they not answer a customer during their non-work hours?

This matter is a slippery-slope and has a wide spectrum that a "one-size fits all" answer will not fit. Why not just take away e-mail, phones, etc from the employees if your company feels it is too much of a temptation for non productivity? All matters could be routed through top management whom i sure would not use company assets for anything non-business.

[dQApprentice]

In Reply to Parent Post by JAltmann

This matter is a slippery-slope and has a wide spectrum that a "one-size fits all" answer will not fit. Why not just take away e-mail, phones, etc from the employees if your company feels it is too much of a temptation for non productivity? All matters could be routed through top management whom i sure would not use company assets for anything non-business.

If we take away those things, it'll be more depressing and difficult to employees considering that technology has become closely tied to daily activities. There are even people who can't live without them.

I think just set guidelines then monitor if someone abuses it then reprimand, if necessary.