Whether they work in an office or from home, it’s easy for your employees to blur the lines between work and personal tasks when they’re on your company computer.
If they spend most of their time at work in front of a computer, it’s not unusual for them to become attached to it. Over time, this could lead to them using your work computer for personal tasks.
In the beginning, it might just be checking personal email while on a lunch break. But as the line continues to get crossed, it can result in them using your work computer just as much for personal reasons as work tasks.
70% employees use their work computer for personal reasons.
In a survey of over 900 employees, it was found that only 30% said they never used their work PC for personal activities. The other 70% admitted to using their work computer for various personal reasons.
Some of the common non-work-related activities that employees do on a work computer include:
- Reading and sending personal email
- Checking social media
- Streaming music
- Streaming videos/movies
- Scanning news headlines
- Shopping online
- Online banking
Over 20% of companies experienced a data breach during the pandemic due to a remote worker.
No matter how convenient, it’s a bad idea for them to use your work PC for personal tasks. (Did you know that at least 20% of companies have experienced a data breach during the pandemic due to a remote worker!)
As a small business owner, you should have simple policies in place to protect you from the risk of a data breach. These policies also protect your team from inadvertently allowing other people access to their personal data and accounts.
But having the policy in place isn’t enough. Our experience at Trusted Computing would suggest that many employees are blissfully ignorant of IT policies that are built-in to most employment contracts / handbooks.
So, it’s worth a regular reminder. That’s why we’ve created this employee briefing for you to share with your team. It might be useful as desk drop, on your noticeboard or maybe present it your next team meeting?
Having a policy in place isn’t enough.
Our experience at Trusted Computing suggests that many employees are blissfully ignorant of the IT policies that are built-in to most employment contracts / handbooks.
So, it’s worth a regular reminder to help break bad habits and establish good ones.
That’s why we’ve created this employee briefing for you to share with your team. It might be useful as desk drop, on your noticeboard or maybe present it your next team meeting?
Click here to download our employee briefing “5 Things You Should Never Do on a Work Computer”.
Let us know if you find it useful.
Our Managed IT Service is designed specifically to meet the needs of small businesses in the North West, allowing them to focus on what they do best.
So, if you run a small business in the North West and want more information about how to minimise the risks of data breaches through clear IT policies and employee communication then please get in touch.
