Suspended for inappropriate internet usage at work

milly09

Basically i went to work today and was taken into a room to say i was being suspended for inappropriate internet usage at work.

I have used the internet at work to come on here, check news, bebo and facebook and stuff, nothing dodgy and as far as i knew it was ok so long as i was getting my work done. Which i have been, i have in fact been doing the work of 2 people since the beginning of the year.

We were warned about internet clamp down at work last week and since then i have mainly stayed of, except google to check a few things, mainly work related.

Can i be sacked for this? I stopped using it when i realised it wasnt allowed, i have worked for the same place for 2 years and have always checked mail and stuff without even thinking. I never sat and constantly used the internet or anything like that but it was often there in the background.

Anyone had any experience of this? Any help would be greatly appreciated. I am not part of a Union and i am freaking out.

kriss_boy

In our council 12 staff got final written warnings for it, a few almost lost their jobs.

Depends on your usage. They will probably look at the records and see how often you were on the internet.

LittleVoice

milly09 wrote: »

I never sat and constantly used the internet or anything like that but it was often there in the background.

Be prepared for them to say you were using the internet for all the time that you were connected if the site "in the background" was not directly work-related.

SomeBozo

Anyone had any experience of this?

Had lots of experience of it! Unfortunatly helping employers sift the "infrequent users" from the "taking the michael users".

Its actually quite hard to dicipline/suspend/sack employees without a "internet usage" policy.

However if the employer issued a

internet clamp down at work last week

and it can be proved you did not heed it, its quite easily to go down the route for the employer.

Bozo

kriss_boy

You need point out that when you heard about it you stopped immediately.

milly09

I never went on after the clamp down, other than to check a few numbers for work, which i think i can prove if i need to, i was on for the work based intranet but surely that is allowed!

Yeah i was thinking they will think i was constantly online, but surely they can realise that my work was completed well and on time so constant internet usage was not likely.

I don't recall anyone explaining any internet usage policy to me and i certainly was not deliberately ignoring any rules although i do get the if you are online then you arent working.

milly09

kriss_boy wrote: »

You need point out that when you heard about it you stopped immediately.

I pointed that out today and they said i could say my side of the story at the disciplinary meeting but they also pointed out that it is not a disciplinary process and i am only suspended so they can investigate, which i understand must be general practice. All seems so cloak and dagger serious

Zebradome

milly09 wrote: »

I don't recall anyone explaining any internet usage policy to me and i certainly was not deliberately ignoring any rules although i do get the if you are online then you arent working.

That's the important bit. In the NHS we have to sign an "application form" for an internet username & password which goes over all what is allowed & not allowed. If you didn't have to sign such a thing, they can only try to get you for what they can prove AFTER the date of the "clampdown".

milly09

My induction was very rushed and brisk, i was promoted at the beginning of the year and i'm still waiting for my induction meeting for that.

Just all seems such a strange way to go about things to me!

People keep saying 2 weeks full pay thats ace.

I'm totally gutted

Zazen999

Is the inappropriateness - the time spent or the content viewed?

milly09

Zazen999 wrote: »

Is the inappropriateness - the time spent or the content viewed?

It must be the time because there was never any dodgy content or anything like that.