5 Ways to Increase Employee Productivity on the Internet (2019)

As great as the Internet is for workplace productivity, the truth remains that there are countless distractions to be found while surfing the Web.  Whether you browse social media, forums, or watch videos, it is becoming far too easy to waste hours of time.

Unfortunately, these distractions are very enticing, and some employees are now wasting valuable work hours on the Internet. With it being an essential tool in the workplace, it is vital to ensure employees are productive when they are on the Internet.

But how do you ensure that employees are being productive while on the Internet? You might be thinking that it’s hopeless and practically impossible to try to monitor their every online action. Well, you’ll be surprised with this list of 5 Ways to Increase Employee Productivity on the Internet.

create-internet-usage-policy

1. Have a Clear Internet Usage Policy

I can’t stress this enough. If your employees know exactly what they are and are not allowed to do on the Internet, it will make your life as a manager that much easier.

It will make Internet usage very black and white, and if employees do watch an hour of YouTube videos they’ll know they’re breaking the rules. When you are disciplining employees for spending too much time on non work-related websites, you can refer back to your Internet usage policy.

Free Template

Employee Internet Usage Policy

Paper document that says "Internet Usage Policy"

Download this FREE acceptable use policy, customize it, and distribute it to your employees to set a precedent for the acceptable use of the internet in the workplace.

Actions-for-Breaking-your-Internet-Usage-Policy


2. Outline Disciplinary Actions for Breaking Your Internet Usage Policy

This might seem obvious, but having written disciplinary actions for breaking your policy will help on a few fronts.

First of all, it will take away the issue of deciding on an appropriate punishment for each case.

Secondly, it will take away the negative effects it will have on you as a manager. If you have no written ramifications it may seem that you are going too hard or too soft on the employee. If it’s company policy, then the manager is just doing their job, and the other employees will not be upset by the manager’s actions.

Lastly, it will act as a deterrent for your employees since they will know the risk of their actions.

control-Internet-access

3. Control the Websites Your Employees are Allowed to Visit

BrowseControl is an easy-to-use web filtering software that will allow you to block your employees from going to websites they shouldn’t be visiting.

The power of BrowseControl lies in the manager’s ability to configure unique Internet usage settings as they apply to the company policy. Managers are able to decide which websites their employees are able to access and which ones they are not able to access, all from one central console.

Even if a manager does not know the specific URLs of the non-productive websites that employees are visiting, the manager can choose to block websites by category. For example, blocking the Social Networks category will block employees from accessing websites such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Use Category Filtering to block Facebook with BrowseControl web filter

Block employees from accessing Social Networks.

Get started with BrowseControl NOW! Download the FREE 14 Day Trial.

monitor-internet-activities

4. Monitor the Websites Your Employees are Visiting

BrowseReporter is a great piece of software that enables managers with the ability to monitor and report on employee Internet and computer usage. This software is great for businesses that do not wish to restrict Internet usage, but would rather have a clear understanding of how the employees are utilizing their Internet and computer privileges.

Managers can configure different reports such as Sites Visited, Total Browsing Time, Application Usage by Hour, Bandwidth Usage, and many more.

With these reports managers can identify employees who are struggling to prioritize their time so they can give them the support they need to improve their own performance at work.

Find out which websites your employees are visiting.

Get started with BrowseReporter NOW! Download the FREE 14 Day Trial.

PRO TIP: BrowseControl and BrowseReporter combine to provide ultimate control and insight of Internet and computer usage in the workplace.

enable-internet-at-lunch

5. Enable Internet Usage on Lunch and Breaks

With BrowseControl, managers can set schedules to allow Internet usage for certain times of the day. With this option, managers can allow employees to access the Internet while on lunch or any other scheduled break. With the scheduled Internet option in use, employees will be satisfied with their Internet use and it will give them something to look forward to each day.

Schedule different Internet policies.

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Sai Kit Chu
Sai Kit Chu
Sai Kit Chu is a Product Manager with CurrentWare. He enjoys helping businesses improve their employee productivity & data loss prevention efforts through the deployment of the CurrentWare solutions.