Please, write a discussion post about the Topic/Statement attached (250 words). This needs to be in a form of a memo or email. Thank you.
Please, write a discussion post about the Topic/Statement below (250 words) Topic/Statement: Complete the “Communication Workshop” on “Social Media” below on short workplace messages and digital media. Respond to the questions to the questions listed under “your task” in a form of an email or memo to who would be you boss “Don Kawamoto at
[email protected]” (2 or 3 Citations needed for this discussion post) Communication Workshop Should Employers curb Social Media, E-Mail, and Other Internet Use? Most employees today have internet access and carry smart-phones and tables to work. Should they be able to use their own devices or work computer for social media posting, online shopping, private messages, and personal work, as well as to listen to music and play games? But it’s harmless Office workers have discovered that it is far easier to shop online than to race to malls and wait in line. To justify her online shopping at work, one employee, a recent graduate, said “ Instead of standing at the water cooler gossiping, I shop online”. She went on to say, “I am not sapping company resources by doing this.” A recent Pew Internet survey revealed that more than a third of workers say they use social media on the job to “take a mental break from work,” while 27 percent like to connect with friends and family; 42 percent deny that social media use is distracting, while 56 percent agree that it is distracting, with 30 percent agreeing strongly. Some experts don’t believe in monitoring employee social media use, especially if it happens off the clock: “The only time employers have a legal duty to monitor employee communications is when the employer has reason to believe that the employee is engaged in illegal conduct.” One HR professional believes that monitoring is essentially futile because you limit his or her social media access; he or she will just find another way to slack off.” Companies Cracking Down Most employers, however, see it differently. Ine survey reported that 28 percent of employers have fired workers for Internet use that wasn’t work related such as online shopping and Facebook visits. Research firm Gartner found that digital surveillance at work is increasing; 60 percent of organizations are planning to join social media networks expressly to monitor their employees. UPS discovered an employee running a personal business from his office computer. Lockheed Martin fired an employee who disabled its entire company network for six hours because of an e-mail heralding a holiday event that the worker sent to 60,000 employees. Companies worry about not only lost productivity, but also litigation, security breaches and other electronic disasters from accidental or intentional misuse of computer systems. What’s Reasonable? Some companies (e.g., Volkswagen and Porsche) impose a zero-tolerance policy, prohibiting any personal use of company equipment. Ameritech Corporation tells employees that computers and other company equipment are to be used only for business purposes. Companies such as Boing, however, have issued guidelines allowing some personal use of e-mail and the Internet. The company strictly prohibits chain letters, obscenity, and political and religious solicitation. Career Application – AS an administrative assistant at Live IT, Inc., in Seattle, Washington, you have just received an e-mail from your boss asking for your opinion. Many employees have been accessing social media sites, shopping online, and using instant messaging. One person received four personal packages from UPS in one morning. Although reluctant to do so, management is considering installing monitoring software that not only tracks Internet use but also blocks social media, messaging, porn, hate and game sites. Your Task 1- In teams or as a class, discuss the problem of workplace abuse of social media, e-mail, instant messaging, online shopping, and another Internet browsing. Should full personal use be allowed? 2- Are computers with Internet access similar to other equipment such as telephone? 3- Should employees be allowed to access the internet for personal use as long as they limit it to their own mobile devices? 4- Should management be allowed to monitor all Internet use? 5- Should employees be warned if Internet activities including e-mail are to be monitored? 6- What reasons can you give to support an internet crackdown by management? 7- What reasons can you give to oppose a crackdown? Decide whether you support or oppose the crackdown. Explain your views in an e-mail or a memo to your boss, Don Kawamoto at
[email protected]