Getting Fired for Disboard Surfing at Work?

[NHdisneylover]

Disney discontinued the MKC (Magic Kingdom Club) in the early 90s. I still have (and use) the messenger-type bag I received when we joined. I use it when we travel to Disney to carry all my hotel/trip paperwork as well as my carry-on items. MKC was great because the discounts were in place--none of the waiting around for "pin codes" or AP rates. . .I miss MKC.

Sorry for the interruption. . .carry on. . .

I know it was still around in 1996. I recall my father in law getting the card from HR for us to use for out honeymoon.

ETA: looks like those who said 2000 were right (there are more if you google but here is one link of a newsletter from the time):
http://www.disneyzone.net/Newsletter/dz12-00.pdf

 

[Magic Mom]

If she visits a lot don't you think she would probably see this? It isn't very kind to kick someone when they are down.

 

[browneyes106]

If she visits a lot don't you think she would probably see this? It isn't very kind to kick someone when they are down.

I was thinking the same thing too.

 

[Tess]

I know it was still around in 1996. I recall my father in law getting the card from HR for us to use for out honeymoon.

ETA: looks like those who said 2000 were right (there are more if you google but here is one link of a newsletter from the time):
http://www.disneyzone.net/Newsletter/dz12-00.pdf

I did the google on it too and found some references to it ending in 2000 (December). Time must fly--I really don't remember it being effective that near in time ago. I know we had a membership from early 90s until it ended. Guess we had it longer than I recall. I also remember the "new club" that took its place didn't seem to have any legs. The only discounts post-MKC I recall were APs (which we purchased when the LOS passes bit the dust).

Thanks for the trip down memory lane with MKC. . .

 

[Lauralee]

I haven't read many of the pp's, but I feel STRONGLY compelled to chime in and post an employer's point of view on this subject.

We own a business that employs approx. 70 employees at this time. The majority of those employees are out-in-the-field service/installation people, but we do have a good sized office staff and many salespeople.

YES, we have fired office staff for wasting their time on the internet....be it facebook, emailing, random surfing, forum sitting, etc.! We have an in-house IT/service person who has programs installed to monitor computer usage. It's not a waste of his time....in fact, it's quite easy to implement.

Time wasted on the computer is no different, in OUR OPINION, than any other type of employee theft. It's no different than if an employee was lifting items out of the warehouse. It's no different than an employee using a company vehicle to run personal errands. It's no different than an employee calling in "sick" when they are really out playing golf. It's no different than an employee who regularly arrives late and leaves early from work.

It's in our handbook and employees are given a warning the first time they are caught wasting time online. There is ALWAYS something else they could be doing elsewhere in the office if they have some down time.

We have had to take a hard line on this problem, and YES we consider all employees valuable, so the excuse that an employee is "too valuable" to let go doesn't fly here. Everybody is replaceable.

This whole issue is a very HOT button with me, and I could go on and on, but I won't. It makes my BP rise when I read posts from people who "brag" about how they get away with things like this at work. I'd like to see other employers post on this thread and share their experiences.

Having said all that, we have a very good relationship with our employees. We are just protecting the bottom line of the business, and being profitable is good for us all.

 

[dodukes]

I haven't read many of the pp's, but I feel STRONGLY compelled to chime in and post an employer's point of view on this subject.

We own a business that employs approx. 70 employees at this time. The majority of those employees are out-in-the-field service/installation people, but we do have a good sized office staff and many salespeople.

YES, we have fired office staff for wasting their time on the internet....be it facebook, emailing, random surfing, forum sitting, etc.! We have an in-house IT/service person who has programs installed to monitor computer usage. It's not a waste of his time....in fact, it's quite easy to implement.

Time wasted on the computer is no different, in OUR OPINION, than any other type of employee theft. It's no different than if an employee was lifting items out of the warehouse. It's no different than an employee using a company vehicle to run personal errands. It's no different than an employee calling in "sick" when they are really out playing golf. It's no different than an employee who regularly arrives late and leaves early from work.

It's in our handbook and employees are given a warning the first time they are caught wasting time online. There is ALWAYS something else they could be doing elsewhere in the office if they have some down time.

We have had to take a hard line on this problem, and YES we consider all employees valuable, so the excuse that an employee is "too valuable" to let go doesn't fly here. Everybody is replaceable.

This whole issue is a very HOT button with me, and I could go on and on, but I won't. It makes my BP rise when I read posts from people who "brag" about how they get away with things like this at work. I'd like to see other employers post on this thread and share their experiences.

Having said all that, we have a very good relationship with our employees. We are just protecting the bottom line of the business, and being profitable is good for us all.

Question so since you monitor it, are your employees not allowed to do any internet while at work? How do you handle an occasional email?

I guess I just find it unreasonable that employers would get so upset over an email here or there. Or even a few minutes browsing news. Sometimes you just need a break, be it smoking, or surfing. I dont mean constant, but sometimes there are things you have to do even while at work. How do you handle that? Do you bring everybody in that uses the internet and "warn" them? Do you look the other way unless its a problem?

Im not trying to be snooty but seriously just asking.

 

[FireDancer]

Our firewall monitors Internet usage and we can provide a report to the executives or department heads if asked for it. For almost all the employees we do some filtering to keep them off certain cites or from opening/downloading certain file types.

Like others have stated we really don't care if you surf a little bit online, everyone needs a little mental break now and then. No one would be fired or really even reprimanded for using the Internet unless it was something illegal, it was porn, they managed to infect the network, they were never getting their work done but were online all day, or we wanted them out anyway and just used it as an excuse to fire them.

Anyone with any sense in their head who wanted to surf the web would just use their smartphone if they really wanted to. We don't have WiFi so anything they do would be cellular data which would never touch our network.

 

[DisneyBamaFan]

... and YES we consider all employees valuable, so the excuse that an employee is "too valuable" to let go doesn't fly here. Everybody is replaceable...

You are saying that all of your employees are valuable to you, but you have no problem firing them for something like this. Sorry, but I question your use of the word "valuable".

And, from a man who has managed thousands of employees over my career, I can assure you that everyone is not "replaceable". Perhaps you should consider why you feel this way.

Something to mull over this holiday season.

 

[rie'smom]

It was there - but only the geekiest of us geeks knew about it/used it. It was all nationally funded until the mid-90's, and there were no "user friendly" interfaces, but it was there.

 

[Tinijocaro]

So now we all know their personal business. Nice.

All we know was that it was SOMEONE. I don't think we actually know who it is. Big difference.

 

[RockAndRollBallerina]

I haven't read many of the pp's, but I feel STRONGLY compelled to chime in and post an employer's point of view on this subject.

We own a business that employs approx. 70 employees at this time. The majority of those employees are out-in-the-field service/installation people, but we do have a good sized office staff and many salespeople.

YES, we have fired office staff for wasting their time on the internet....be it facebook, emailing, random surfing, forum sitting, etc.! We have an in-house IT/service person who has programs installed to monitor computer usage. It's not a waste of his time....in fact, it's quite easy to implement.

Time wasted on the computer is no different, in OUR OPINION, than any other type of employee theft. It's no different than if an employee was lifting items out of the warehouse. It's no different than an employee using a company vehicle to run personal errands. It's no different than an employee calling in "sick" when they are really out playing golf. It's no different than an employee who regularly arrives late and leaves early from work.

It's in our handbook and employees are given a warning the first time they are caught wasting time online. There is ALWAYS something else they could be doing elsewhere in the office if they have some down time.

We have had to take a hard line on this problem, and YES we consider all employees valuable, so the excuse that an employee is "too valuable" to let go doesn't fly here. Everybody is replaceable.

This whole issue is a very HOT button with me, and I could go on and on, but I won't. It makes my BP rise when I read posts from people who "brag" about how they get away with things like this at work. I'd like to see other employers post on this thread and share their experiences.

Having said all that, we have a very good relationship with our employees. We are just protecting the bottom line of the business, and being profitable is good for us all.

I feel the same way as my dad owns a rather good sized day care center, and as my dad's personal assistant/associate/IT I'm the one responsible for monitoring who is doing what on the internet. We have a staff of 25 and each person has a username and a password associated with them so that we are able to pin point exactly what sites and when they were on the internet (we have a total of 4 computers, all in the office, none in the classrooms). And written in bold printing on signs in the office and employee handbook clearly states that the internet is only to be used as a tool at work.

They are not allowed on any social networking sites, no entertainment sites, and they can not check personal e-mail either (if there is an emergency situation family members must call the office). If they want to check the latest news they are allowed on CNN, the local news station sites, msnbc, or the local paper. I do monitor usage, and on the first offense of not using the internet for work only they get written up and locked out of their account that allows them to use a work computer, and if it continues they will not work for us anymore. And they must turn in all wireless communication devices into the office at the beginning of their work day or leave them in their cars.

If they wish to check their e-mail or facebook pages during their lunch hour they must go home to do so. They will not use our computers for these purposes.

 

[cm8]

Someone is being let go at work today for having visited the Disboards website while at work.

She visited the website over 300 times in five weeks!

I like this website, but 300 times? While at work?

I rarely have time to empty my bladder, I can't help but wonder how she found the time to visit that many times?

Internet surfing on company time sealed her fate.

When I heard it was Disboards, I had to share!

300 in five weeks!

Wow, what happened to confidentiality? What she got fired for is supposed to be protected. Maybe she was framed? I wonder if she was a "dis-er", I just read a thread about someone who.................. Never mind

 

[Judy from Boise]

I have certainly terminated employees for various violations of our IT policy. The new one we are after is when we assign CNAs to act as patient safety attendents and they are reported to be using their smart phones in the patient's room while "sitting".

On the flip side I just had to have the IT director authorize me to do tons of on line research for supporting sexual activity in the disabled !

 

[Kimberly]

When this sort of thing happens, there is almost always something else driving it. No way would I ever fire a great employee over internet surfing unless it was something like porn.

100 percent correct here. This was probably what was "officially" written, but there could have been other issues (political or actual) that were going on with this employee.

I don't really care when my employees browse the net, so long as I get whatever it is I need in a timely manner, or when I ask for it. Usually they browse the net because I'm not doing my job to ensure to keep them busy, or I just don't have work to give them at the moment. If I see someone just browsing the net though with just an hour or 2 left in the day, and I know I won't have anything to give them... why not send them home?

I only have 2 full time employees though, the rest are contracted out as necessary.

 

[nathalee81]

This thread is interesting to me because my husband is the "head IT guy" at his work (a pretty small company). I asked him how he felt about employees surfing on the net and he said that he doesn't really care about Internet usage as long as:

1) they are doing their job
2) they aren't doing anything illegal
3) cannot download video (or anything else that would strain the network)

The owner of the company agrees with him. Neither of them have the time, energy or inclination to go and monitor each and every employee and their usage. Of course, I imagine if someone was not doing their job-then they would take that employee aside and speak to them (he has been there for over a year, and this hasn't ever occurred yet).

Also, I have a question about those small business owners with strict guidelines to Internet usage. Why don't you all just set up your router to allow only those sites you mentioned? It seems like an awful lot of effort to monitor employees that closely, when you could just set up your router to allow only those sites which you want them to view. I don't know, maybe it isn't possible for your situation...?

 

[Disneyland1084]

Time wasted on the computer is no different, in OUR OPINION, than any other type of employee theft. It's no different than if an employee was lifting items out of the warehouse. It's no different than an employee using a company vehicle to run personal errands. It's no different than an employee calling in "sick" when they are really out playing golf. It's no different than an employee who regularly arrives late and leaves early from work.

It's also NO different than employees taking multiple smoking breaks!

 

[Kimberly]

It's also NO different than employees taking multiple smoking breaks!

What about bathroom breaks? Why not just have bathrooms with workstations installed in them? That way there would be minimal loss of company time while on the loo. If someone wasn't working hard enough, you could just limit their supply of toilet paper.

In all seriousness, you should treat your employees as if they were human, not a group of "yes-robots."

 

[kidzmom3]

What about bathroom breaks? Why not just have bathrooms with workstations installed in them? That way there would be minimal loss of company time while on the loo. If someone wasn't working hard enough, you could just limit their supply of toilet paper.

In all seriousness, you should treat your employees as if they were human, not a group of "yes-robots."

requiring people to actually work, a function that you are paying them for is treating them like they are humans. Responsible adults who know the difference between personal time and company time. Time and resource theft are a serious problem that costs employers millions every year.

 

[Disneyland1084]

What about bathroom breaks? Why not just have bathrooms with workstations installed in them? That way there would be minimal loss of company time while on the loo. If someone wasn't working hard enough, you could just limit their supply of toilet paper.

In all seriousness, you should treat your employees as if they were human, not a group of "yes-robots."

OMG you made me crack up!

 

[Kimberly]

requiring people to actually work, a function that you are paying them for is treating them like they are humans. Responsible adults who know the difference between personal time and company time. Time and resource theft are a serious problem that costs employers millions every year.

And as the owner of my own relatively small company, I ensure to give them enough work to keep them busy for at least 8 hours of the day, although between their appointments, it is typically more.

I worked for a short while in a corporate lifestyle, and it is no wonder that employees commit "time and resource theft." Especially when their only job function is so mind-numbingly dull that a trained chimpanzee could do it.