Quoting teaschip:

You wouldn't last in the U.S. then si++. As most employers in the U.S. will monitor phone calls for quality purposes. Also most employers do check emails if an employee is having performance issues and suspected of email & internet abuse.

Again, most managers do not like to micro manage, but give them a cause to and your privacy is right out the door.

I have also read many articles about London's cameras and how sufficent they are. In fact many cities in the U.S. including mine have adopted London's safety means and have installed street cameras.

Quoting girleegirl:

I guess if you are an employee who has issues with your employer “spying” on you maybe you should start your own business……but then I guess that might change your perspective about staff playing on the internet.

Quoting si++:

I don't think they monitor your screen in US. Say you are connected to your bank to make some transactions or buy/sell some shares at the stock exchange and they see your computer screen. Not nice at all.

Quoting girleegirl:

Quoting si++:

No, I am not.
To be productive for your employer, You need sort out your personal things. Otherwise you cannot concentrate on your job and it wouldn't be good for your employer. Say you have some bills you need to pay using Internet banking. Of course you should use their Internet. Otherwise you should go out to the bank to pay your bills.

As such...

Quoting si++:

Quoting girleegirl:

And just how on earth do you think people managed their personal and work lives in the time before the internet?? They managed their time. They took care of personal business on their lunch breaks or after work or on their days off.
You can't seriously be saying that you would be fine if your own company lost millions of dollars a year due to employees playing around on the computer!!

Quoting si++:

Quoting si++:

Quoting MarioninTurkey:

In the "old days" employers used to have huge phone bills. Now with msn chat etc people can at least spend a few minutes sorting out their private lives / checking their kids got home from school OK / making a doctors appointment etc etc without costing an employer more.

As an employer and a manager myself, I can say that the majority of staff work hard and are dedicated. These guys can come in a few minutes late with an emergency, do a bit of facebook, go home half an hour early because the gas man is coming, and it is no problem because when we have a rush on and they need to stay late to finish the work, they do so. It is give and take. I treat them like an adult and they behave like one.

Other staff members (the very small minority) sadly don't deserve any trust, they mess around at any opportunity, are always the last in and first out. The best thing is not to check up on them, but get rid of them! In actual fact, normally it isn't me (the boss) that gets wound up about them first, but their colleagues (peers) who feel they are not taking their fair share of the workload!