Web abuse most common reason for sacking

Email and internet abuse has become the most common reason for disciplinary action in the workplace.

Circulating dodgy emails or surfing suspect sites - typically of a pornographic nature - has now overtaken stealing office supplies to become the biggest reason for fallings out between bosses and employees. The sheer length of time spent online is also an issue in many workplaces.

Lawfirm KLegal and Personnel Magazine surveyed 212 UK companies and found 358 disciplinary cases for breaches of email and internet policies, compared to 326 cases for any other offence, including old favourites such as breaches of health and safety regulations, dishonesty and theft.

Most companies have become aware of the serious consequences of not taking a hard line on email and internet abuse following a series of high profile cases in the past few years.

The reputation of City lawfirm Norton Rose was dragged through the mud in December 2000 after five employees forwarded on messages relating to an 'intimate act' performed on one of their colleagues by the now infamous Claire Swire (see http://www.silicon.com/a41710 for more).