Porn means profit, resellers told
Channel should help with firms' web usage policies
Online pornography is creating new opportunities in consultancy and services for the channel, according to a study conducted on behalf of filtering specialist Websense.
UK corporations are failing to guide staff on acceptable use of the internet and are paying an enormous price in lost productivity, the study revealed.
"If the channel could help companies devise a framework for acceptable use of the net, less time would be wasted, fewer people would be sacked and less financial damage would be incurred by all parties," claimed Geoff Haggart, vice president at Websense.
"If they also offered their clients content filtering and management systems, even more damage would be averted."
Eskenzi Marketing interviewed 544 human resources managers on behalf of Websense to study the effect of the internet on personnel management.
The results showed that 72 per cent of firms had to deal with internet misuse. One quarter had to sack someone as a result of complaints, and 69 per cent of dismissals were associated with online pornography.
"The cost of sacking people is estimated at a minimum of £8,000," said Haggart. "It is often more because companies don't have a clear policy on internet usage. Ex-employees are able to challenge their sackings in court if guidance on internet use is vague or non-existent."
Faced with the financial distress caused by internet misuse and employee dismissals, many companies are using employee internet management software as a way to automatically enforce their internet access policy.
Firms could recover their investment in lawyers' fees alone, legal experts have said.
"Dismissing an employee for internet misuse is a costly business for an employer," said Jonathan Naylor, a barrister working in the employment, pensions and benefits group at law firm Morgan Cole.
"Then there is the cost of advertising for new staff, recruitment, training and supervision, the cost of work interruption, damage to morale and the negative publicity associated with the dismissal."