A clear communications policy is essential. Current statistics suggest that employees may spend a substantial part of their workday surfing the Internet. Employees who expose their co-workers to hate and pornography sites, may be exposing their employers to claims of hostile environment. Employers can protect themselves by monitoring their employees' use of the Internet and internal communications systems or by restricting access to certain types of sites. Monitoring efforts must comply with state and federal laws that prohibit wiretapping.
Several products are currently available to allow employers to restrict and monitor access.
Either way, employers who don't have a communications policy in place are asking for trouble. Recruitment and Hiring. Business is booming and everyone is looking for qualified employees. In their haste to hire, employers may be tempted to ignore the things they should be doing to insure that the employees they hire are qualified. Careful screening and appropriate hiring practices may help employers avoid hiring an employee who will perform poorly, or expose the employer to claims of illegal harassment, discrimination, wrongful discharge, or negligent hiring.