WebProNews

Canadians think that too much time is being wasted on personal email and Internet use at work. More than half want clearer guidelines from their employers, according to a new poll from Monster.ca.

Fifty-seven percent were against having employers monitor their Internet use but the same percentage agreed that clearer guidelines would help with productivity and trust in the workplace.

Twenty-nine percent were in favor of the idea of employers monitoring email and Internet use, agreeing "people spend an excessive amount of time on personal email and surfing the Internet." Fourteen percent were opposed to the idea of employers monitoring email and Internet use saying it was "an invasion of privacy that shows a lack of trust."

"Canadians seem to be providing an honest assessment of what is happening on the job and it makes sense for employers to listen and to consider what can be done to strike the right balance between respecting employee privacy and keeping productivity up amid email and Internet use by staff," said Gabriel Bouchard, Monster Canada's vice-president and general manager.

"A workplace built on trust and transparency will be far more productive than one where the boss monitors every conversation, move or mouse-click."