Give and take at work

HeavyHeaded

So I work in an office where everyone uses the internet at some point of the day. I also would say I use it every day. Never when there is work to do but I have some down time after lunch around 3-4pm or when I'm waiting to hear back from colleauges. My hours are also 9-5 but I always get held back until 6 every day with issues or helping out. (Nothing that could be done in my down time might I add these are issues stopped on end of day reports)
Today we were all told that if anyone uses the internet on working hours that it will be blocked. Nothing about them wanting us to do extra work on my hours every day though. I have missed training some nights because of work.
I feel frustrated as I am an excellent worker, I do my work on time and would never "doss" when there is work to do. I prefer to be busy. Is this the norm or are they taking advantage a bit?

Different workplaces have different attitudes and policies. There isn't much you can do about it.

If you are consistently working late use the downtime to come up with solutions?

callaway92

Taking something like casual internet away from employees could lead to a backlash. I'm so comfortable having access at work now that I'd absolutely crack up if it was taken away from us. Why would they rock the boat if things are running smoothly in the place as it is?

campo

Sounds like some could be taking advantage, it's happened to me in a number of jobs so I would say it is the norm.

Regards the extra hour you at end of the day do they pay you OT for this and if not I would be using the downtime to come up with a solution that would mean you get away at 5, maybe starting end of shift reports during the down time

Irish_Elect_Eng

Do you need the internet to do your day to day job? If not then your employer is right.

If you have regular work to do after the EOB reports are run, then consider shifting your hours to start and finish an hour later.

Whether it is using the internet, stealing office supplies, taking long fag breaks, time spent chatting, etc. you have to know the invisible line in the sand that exists in your workplace. Most companies turn a blind eye to a certain amount of non-productive behavior as it greases the wheels and keeps folks a little happier.

But there are always a few folks that take the piss and policies get tightened and everybody loses out. Fighting against this is a waste of time and will only flag you as a trouble maker and a high frequency internet user :-(.

Now that company policy has been clarified, getting caught using the internet for non-work tasks is probably a disciplinary event, be smart and don't be that guy that gets made an example of. Remember, the company has a full record of every site you visit and can easily set up a filter to report anybody that visits social, non-business or other sites.

Work-Around: Use your own phone for personal internet access in your own time during breaks.

davo10

Are you using your phone or company terminal? If it's your phone while you are on a break then it's none of their business, it you are using their computer to surf the internet then the concern might be that inappropriate info might be downloaded/sent from their computers.

odyssey06

Ask them to define business hours... then work those hours not a second more or less. That seems to be what they want, no!?

davo10

odyssey06 wrote: »

Ask them to define business hours... then work those hours not a second more or less. That seems to be what they want, no!?

Those striving for mediocrity do only what is required.

cursai

davo10 wrote: »

Those striving for mediocrity do only what is required.

What's wrong with mediocrity? Not everyone is a special little snowflake.

davo10

cursai wrote: »

What's wrong with mediocrity? Not everyone is a special little snowflake.

Nothing at all. I suppose it depends on your perspective and ambition. Came across this article, I think it's pretty good.

https://www.google.ie/amp/www.inc.com/amp/71520.html

odyssey06

davo10 wrote: »

Those striving for mediocrity do only what is required.

Spending more time than is warranted or required is not a sign of excellence.

But I fear we digress.

dresden8

davo10 wrote: »

Those striving for mediocrity do only what is required.

Anybody who works for free is a fool.

davo10

odyssey06 wrote: »

Spending more time than is warranted or required is not a sign of excellence.

But I fear we digress.

You are absolutely correct. Any extra hours worked without benefit to the person working them is a fools errand. Again it depends on ambition and perspective.

Interesting guy interviewed on Matt Coopers show last week. He was the youngest partner in a global firm, I'm sorry I can't remember which one. He said he worked long hours, unpaid but he made sure he built up relationships with managers and clients that made him noticed, he said just working the hours was useless without some benefit to him. He said the relationships he built up far outweighed the monetary value of the extra hours.

I'd also be on the bandwagon of letting them know you're a tad unhappy about the blocking of the internet, and displaying this by simply arriving to, and leaving from, work at the hours specified.


(that said, although I don't work in an office, and never really have, I find it a little cringey that there are people who make a genuine effort to come in early and go home late 'to be noticed'. But that said, I like my own time and would never work for free for anyone but myself).

If you're staying late each day OP, just stop doing it. Them pulling the net is a sign that they don't care about you, so why should you care about them. When one party becomes selfish (management approach to 'work them harder') then everyone loses out (employee responds with 'well feck them if that's the attitude') etc.

davo10

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I'd also be on the bandwagon of letting them know you're a tad unhappy about the blocking of the internet, and displaying this by simply arriving to, and leaving from, work at the hours specified.


(that said, although I don't work in an office, and never really have, I find it a little cringey that there are people who make a genuine effort to come in early and go home late 'to be noticed'. But that said, I like my own time and would never work for free for anyone but myself).

If you're staying late each day OP, just stop doing it. Them pulling the net is a sign that they don't care about you, so why should you care about them. When one party becomes selfish (management approach to 'work them harder') then everyone loses out (employee responds with 'well feck them if that's the attitude') etc.

Striving for mediocrity? Without being noticed makes it easier for those that are to advance.

"Cringey" to be noticed, seriously? How is anybody who wants to progress in their job supposed to do that, time served?

Back to the ops point, internet usage I reckon in this case depends on device, if it's the employers computer, then there may be a bone fide reason for curtailing it rather than a blanket ban on logging on to wifi.

davo10

davo10 wrote: »

Striving for mediocrity? Without being noticed makes it easier for those that are to advance.

"Cringey" to be noticed, seriously? How is anybody who wants to progress in their job supposed to do that, time served?

Back to the ops point, internet usage I reckon in this case depends on device, if it's the employers computer, then there may be a bone fide reason for curtailing it rather than a blanket ban on logging on to wifi.

If you do a good job, does it matter that you're there early and late?

If someone really wants to advance in a role/company/whatever, and they want to give up all their time for free to a company, let them at it. I'm pretty sure just being more productive during the working day would suffice, though.

As for me, mediocrity is just fine. Let everyone else burn themselves out and work all the hours they're alive. I'd be knocking off at 5pm and enjoying the time that I have to live my own life without answering to someone who feels I can't be trusted to have internet access.


To each their own, though.

davo10

[Deleted User] wrote: »

If you do a good job, does it matter that you're there early and late?

If someone really wants to advance in a role/company/whatever, and they want to give up all their time for free to a company, let them at it. I'm pretty sure just being more productive during the working day would suffice, though.

As for me, mediocrity is just fine. Let everyone else burn themselves out and work all the hours they're alive. I'd be knocking off at 5pm and enjoying the time that I have to live my own life without answering to someone who feels I can't be trusted to have internet access.


To each their own, though.

Doing a good job should be a basic requirement, not to be lauded. I'm not advocating "free time", I am advocating extra time beneficial to you for your advancement. Mediocrity is fine for most, it is what most businesses are built on, again it depends on ambition and perspective. Ambitious people rise, mediocre people stay put.

Clampdown

Tbh I'd say it's an empty enough threat. If the majority of the workforce have pcs connected online you must need it for work somehow otherwise why would they have it and pay for it. And why pay for it to 'block it.'

I'd just stay off it a week and then go back to the way it was. If anyone says anything, don't make a big deal, close it down and say sorry. If they block it then I would stop staying late. But they probably won't, it would be stupid to have a workplace offline in 2017.

campo

davo10 wrote: »

Doing a good job should be a basic requirement, not to be lauded. I'm not advocating "free time", I am advocating extra time beneficial to you for your advancement. Mediocrity is fine for most, it is what most businesses are built on, again it depends on ambition and perspective. Ambitious people rise, mediocre people stay put.

Nothing wrong with staying put we all can't be CEOs, as long as you are happy in work get some sort of decent wage and can come home to a nice family/friends time sure that is all that matters

prinzeugen

There is lies, deceit & taking the piss.

As a supervisor, I have no issue with staff using the internet before work, on breaks or during quiet times at the end of the shift.

Doing it during the busy point of the day will get you fired. No music/headphone rule applies also. I don't care if you can get the Man utd game live. If you are looking at the phone, bye bye

People are paid to work, not surf the net.

HeavyHeaded

I do a good job in work. I always have everything done on time. I'm always in on time. I have never had a sick day. I also get caught to stay late many nights. I used to play tag rugby on Tuesday evenings and missed it so many times with work that I ended up quitting.


That aside I generally like my job. I have about an hour in total through out the day that is quiet. And I mean nothing happening. Zilch!
This week not having internet to take a quick scroll through I found myself staring at the walls yawning and getting really tired. I ended up walking to the shop to wake myself up. Which they've no issue with. Go figure!

Its kinda a divided opinion as I have two managers and only one has a problem with internet usage.

fly_agaric

dresden8 wrote: »

Anybody who works for free is a fool.

But if they work hard for free for "businesspeople" who think like davo10, they are the right sort of fool and have avoided the fate of being "mediocre", which must be worth a few pay cheques!
Won't save them from the axe when they have outlived their usefulness though:(

Elessar

prinzeugen wrote: »

There is lies, deceit & taking the piss.

As a supervisor, I have no issue with staff using the internet before work, on breaks or during quiet times at the end of the shift.

Doing it during the busy point of the day will get you fired. No music/headphone rule applies also. I don't care if you can get the Man utd game live. If you are looking at the phone, bye bye

People are paid to work, not surf the net.

It depends on the job/industry. Working on the factory floor? Absolutely. Working in IT? Go and sh*te.

I use the net quite regularly and, though I wouldn't take the p*ss, I have no qualms about browsing around for a few minutes when the mood takes me.

I don't care who's looking at me. Day to day, am I:

- Doing my job? Yes.
- Doing it well and getting good feedback and reviews? Yes.
- Helping out with extra work and hours the odd time? Yes.

Petty enough to have an issue with me browsing the web sometimes despite all this? Cry me a river.

It sounds pretty sh*te OP what the company are doing, they clearly don't trust their staff. Sounds very Irish. There are lots of companies that won't treat you like that. Sounds laughable to be quite honest.

I simply wouldn't work in a place like that.

JustAThought

I worked a job relatively tecently where we didn't have internet available - unbelievable I know- email yes, two ot three sites required to perform functions, but otherwise none. Naturally I had my iphone but you woildn't believe how clear your head becomes when you're
Not jumping between ( tecreational) sites all day, nor how many small jobs get noticed and done or suggeated for project funding when you are bored out of your trolley.

I would say OP that someone is taking the proverbial so badly that they have had to bring this in. I woild also suggest prudence -
Another job (multinational) hauled the whole floor in one by one to discuss our internet usage - they had all the surfing times, sites & histograms - it was really scarey - and clearing histories didn't /hadn't worked. A few managers were demoted and one guy was fired & the company hauled us all in to sign that we would not vouch for him as referees in anything to do with our association with him through work. Turns out he had been surfing porn & a big discrimination case was underway by a female co-worker who took them to the cleaners for not providing a non sexual harrasment environment & assuring her dignity at work...

No smoke without fire - I'd maybe go totally offline & read instead or stare at the wall. Might be an opportunity to change or challenge processes so you are not left waiting on process bottlenecks at the end of the day to be able to complete your work. You used not mind souch as you could read the internet ....
Silver lining & all that.

Irish_Elect_Eng

I would love to have an hour "free" at work every day.

- Networking
- Managing-Up
- Keeping Up on Industry Trends
- Training new skills / Reading / Webinars.
- Mentor-ship
- Automating manual processes
- Reviewing / Updating Procedures
- Continuous Improvements
- Cost savings
- Doing some of my bosses or colleagues work if they are more swamped than I.

I understand if a person is in a role where they have no control over their work how these things may seem to be doing extra work when you do not have to. But it is work in these areas not in "your day job" or what you are "told to do" that gets you promoted and more money.

If I were you I would spend the hour first mapping the process/problems that keep you after hours, work out what the issues are and propose solutions. That would solve both of your problems, giving you something productive to do during your "free hour" and eliminating your overtime. It would raise your profile with your managers, your colleagues would appreciate it (and may help with the problem solving) and improve your work/life balance.

Wanderer2010

davo10 wrote: »

Doing a good job should be a basic requirement, not to be lauded. I'm not advocating "free time", I am advocating extra time beneficial to you for your advancement. Mediocrity is fine for most, it is what most businesses are built on, again it depends on ambition and perspective. Ambitious people rise, mediocre people stay put.

They often rise to more hours more stress and zero time to see their family but hey, having a great job title and no life means a lot to some people.

TimeToShine

davo10 wrote: »

Doing a good job should be a basic requirement, not to be lauded. I'm not advocating "free time", I am advocating extra time beneficial to you for your advancement. Mediocrity is fine for most, it is what most businesses are built on, again it depends on ambition and perspective. Ambitious people rise, mediocre people stay put.

Ambitious people in the context you describe would start their own business. Just because someone copy and pastes data in Excel a bit more eagerly than everyone else/ spends an extra hour from 5-6 writing up reports doesn't make them any more ambitious than the fella who punches in at 9 and straight back out at 5. Anyone beyond perhaps fresh grads working for the big 4 who can't get their work done between 9-5 who thinks putting in the extra hour is the only way to success needs a new job or a new career.

dresden8

fly_agaric wrote: »

But if they work hard for free for "businesspeople" who think like davo10, they are the right sort of fool and have avoided the fate of being "mediocre", which must be worth a few pay cheques!
Won't save them from the axe when they have outlived their usefulness though:(

"Loyalty" is very much a one way street.

These people are fools and they are fnckng it up for the rest of us.

Work has one measure of value.

Pay.

dresden8

Wanderer2010 wrote: »

They often rise to more hours more stress and zero time to see their family but hey, having a great job title and no life means a lot to some people.

I work for free but I'm an executive vice president in charge of change management, performance excellence and barista when the bosses are meeting real people.

I'm a part of the team. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pay is for unambitious fools. The highly paid losers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pay is for losers. Woo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wanderer2010

dresden8 wrote: »

I work for free but I'm an executive vice president in charge of change management, performance excellence and barista when the bosses are meeting real people.

I'm a part of the team. Yay!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pay is for unambitious fools. The highly paid losers!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pay is for losers. Woo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I cant make head not tail of your post I'm afraid.

Irish_Elect_Eng

dresden8 wrote: »

"Loyalty" is very much a one way street.

These people are fools and they are fnckng it up for the rest of us.

Work has one measure of value.

Pay.

I would agree somewhat, companies and corporations that show genuine loyalty to their employees are rare, mainly because their #1 priority is to make money for shareholders.

But loyalty within the workplace between employees and their managers or colleagues on a team or department basis is a very common sight at least in the high performing companies and teams that I have had the pleasure of working with. I have seen managers and colleagues go out on a limb for their co-workers many times.

This only happens where the team have put in their time together and been loyal to each other in the past. The most common reason given when an employee goes that extra mile to help a colleague is simply "because they would do it for me".

Clampdown

Irish_Elect_Eng wrote: »

I would love to have an hour "free" at work every day.

- Networking
- Managing-Up
- Keeping Up on Industry Trends
- Training new skills / Reading / Webinars.
- Mentor-ship
- Automating manual processes
- Reviewing / Updating Procedures
- Continuous Improvements
- Cost savings
- Doing some of my bosses or colleagues work if they are more swamped than I.

I understand if a person is in a role where they have no control over their work how these things may seem to be doing extra work when you do not have to. But it is work in these areas not in "your day job" or what you are "told to do" that gets you promoted and more money.

If I were you I would spend the hour first mapping the process/problems that keep you after hours, work out what the issues are and propose solutions. That would solve both of your problems, giving you something productive to do during your "free hour" and eliminating your overtime. It would raise your profile with your managers, your colleagues would appreciate it (and may help with the problem solving) and improve your work/life balance.

Not every job has the scope or need for employees to do all that, and not every job will have promotions or other rewards actually available to make it worthwhile.

And I would imagine things like networking, webinars, research into new trends, would be handy to have the internet for, no?

Actually there's your solution OP. Tell the boss you need the net to do all that arselicking stuff listed above.

Pac1Man

Irish_Elect_Eng wrote: »

I would love to have an hour "free" at work every day.

- Networking
- Managing-Up
- Keeping Up on Industry Trends
- Training new skills / Reading / Webinars.
- Mentor-ship
- Automating manual processes
- Reviewing / Updating Procedures
- Continuous Improvements
- Cost savings
- Doing some of my bosses or colleagues work if they are more swamped than I.

That sounds like a nightmare.

All you need is the diesel German saloon to touch base going forward and you're all set.

HeavyHeaded

Elessar wrote: »

It depends on the job/industry. Working on the factory floor? Absolutely. Working in IT? Go and sh*te.



I don't care who's looking at me. Day to day, am I:

- Doing my job? Yes.
- Doing it well and getting good feedback and reviews? Yes.
- Helping out with extra work and hours the odd time? Yes.


It sounds pretty sh*te OP what the company are doing, they clearly don't trust their staff. Sounds very Irish. There are lots of companies that won't treat you like that. Sounds laughable to be quite honest.

I simply wouldn't work in a place like that.

I feel exactly like you. I've told them its quiet and I help out with other roles now but still have down time. I always do my work the second it comes in and I don't waste time so everything gets done quicker and I probably have more free time because of this but its just making me miserable going into work.

HeavyHeaded

Irish_Elect_Eng wrote: »

I would love to have an hour "free" at work every day.

- Networking
- Managing-Up
- Keeping Up on Industry Trends
- Training new skills / Reading / Webinars.
- Mentor-ship
- Automating manual processes
- Reviewing / Updating Procedures
- Continuous Improvements
- Cost savings
- Doing some of my bosses or colleagues work if they are more swamped than I.


If I were you I would spend the hour first mapping the process/problems that keep you after hours, work out what the issues are and propose solutions. That would solve both of your problems, giving you something productive to do during your "free hour" and eliminating your overtime. It would raise your profile with your managers, your colleagues would appreciate it (and may help with the problem solving) and improve your work/life balance.

None of what you listed is applicable to my job. As for trying to reduce work load after hours. Its not possible because I run overall reports covering multiple teams and it's only then that issues arise. Its not possible predict that another team may have made an error through out the day.

It's at the point now that someone was held up in traffic today on the N 7 and they wrote up a report on it. He was about 6 mins late... I must clarify one manager wrote it. The other didn't care.

Mrs OBumble

Get yourself a smartphone with a data plan. Use that to access the web.


Re your question about is it the norm:

When the internet (web and external email) first became available in the workplace, it was the norm to have zero personal use allowed.

Then companies copped on and figured it was less disruptive to have people doing minimal browsing and sending the odd personal email, so limited personal use was generally allowed.

Now, as more people have smartphones which can be used for personal browsing, it's becoming more common to have no-personal-use policies again.



And if this kind of pettiness or the need to work a little longer some days is really getting to you, then find another job.

Irish_Elect_Eng

Pac1Man wrote: »

That sounds like a nightmare.

All you need is the diesel German saloon to touch base going forward and you're all set.

Already have the nice German company car with some other other perks that come along with the promotions that focusing on some of the activities listed can help anyone achieve. Wish I had the time to do more of it, one of the problems of getting better at what you do is that it attracts more work and it is harder to find the time for further personal development. But on the plus side, even though I report to a line manager, I can't remember the last time he had to tell me what needed to be done, so my job and my teams direction is pretty much self directed and self defined now.

Irish_Elect_Eng

HeavyHeaded wrote: »

None of what you listed is applicable to my job. As for trying to reduce work load after hours. Its not possible because I run overall reports covering multiple teams and it's only then that issues arise. Its not possible predict that another team may have made an error through out the day.

It's at the point now that someone was held up in traffic today on the N 7 and they wrote up a report on it. He was about 6 mins late... I must clarify one manager wrote it. The other didn't care.

Please believe me when I say that, I have seen to see any companies process that did not have scope for improvement.
We review every process at least once per year and none escape that review without changes, from tweaks to rewrites.
I deal with a lot of data-entry issues in the area of customer complaints and failure investigation.
I know just how difficult it can be to get teams of different cultures and language skills to enter meaningful data into poorly designed web-forms.
But we must try to improve or suffer on...

• Do you keep a log of the types of errors that are occurring?
• - If you don't document the issues, you don't know what to change.
  
• Do you provide feedback to all the teams detailing the errors that are occurring?
• - If you don't tell the teams what errors are being made by other teams they will be repeated.
  
• Do you provide a checklist, good practice document or worked example templates?
• - Help the team to improve their reports, people want to do good work.
• Do you provide metrics back to the team manager/leads on "errors per day/report"?
• - If you don't measure it you cannot know when it it improving.

Have you approached your manager or a company subject matter expert for help in solving the problems with the process. It is in the companies interest to get the work done correctly.

Best of Luck.

Irish_Elect_Eng

Irish_Elect_Eng wrote: »

Already have the nice German company car with some other other perks that come along with the promotions that focusing on some of the activities listed can help anyone achieve. Wish I had the time to do more of it, one of the problems of getting better at what you do is that it attracts more work and it is harder to find the time for further personal development. But on the plus side, even though I report to a line manager, I can't remember the last time he had to tell me what needed to be done, so my job and my teams direction is pretty much self directed and self defined now.

ah you were doing so well until you mentioned the status symbol of quacks..ZA German car" you sound like the love child of Norman vincent peale and monica gellar!!

damn it man, us mere mortals are dealing with internet censorship and sticking it to the man and here you are seizing the moment with your uber curriculum vitae on steroids...we get it, you're amazing, I'll bet they're eating out of your shorts come the xmas party, oh you and your anecdotes and rib-ticklers!!!!

now scat down to rolys because bill Cullen and Michael O'Leary are waiting on you, those brandys wont pour themselves.

Irish_Elect_Eng

rusty cole wrote: »

ah you were doing so well until you mentioned the status symbol of quacks..ZA German car" you sound like the love child of Norman vincent peale and monica gellar!!

damn it man, us mere mortals are dealing with internet censorship and sticking it to the man and here you are seizing the moment with your uber curriculum vitae on steroids...we get it, you're amazing, I'll bet they're eating out of your shorts come the xmas party, oh you and your anecdotes and rib-ticklers!!!!

now scat down to rolys because bill Cullen and Michael O'Leary are waiting on you, those brandys wont pour themselves.

Brandy? Never!, I'm a craft beer hipster, , if you are looking for a stereotype :-)
And Pac1Man brought up the German Car sterotype, I wanted an American car, but company policy and all that....

So many of the comments on here are negative when it comes to work, but there are good places to work and there are people enjoying their careers. Even in a poor environment, people can make a difference and build on the hand that they a dealt.

If you look at most of my posts, they are at least constructive as I try to be helpful. (Not always successfully)

Irish_Elect_Eng

Irish_Elect_Eng wrote: »

Brandy? Never!, I'm a craft beer hipster, , if you are looking for a stereotype :-)
And Pac1Man brought up the German Car sterotype, I wanted an American car, but company policy and all that....

So many of the comments on here are negative when it comes to work, but there are good places to work and there are people enjoying their careers. Even in a poor environment, people can make a difference and build on the hand that they a dealt.

If you look at most of my posts, they are at least constructive as I try to be helpful. (Not always successfully)

well I have to say, you certainly are magnanimous I'll say that for you, taking my post in good spirits, I actually think that says a lot more about you than me, in a good way for you. I retract my negative vitriol, good for you, I'm pleasantly surprised.:)

fly_agaric

Irish_Elect_Eng wrote: »

But loyalty within the workplace between employees and their managers or colleagues on a team or department basis is a very common sight at least in the high performing companies and teams that I have had the pleasure of working with. I have seen managers and colleagues go out on a limb for their co-workers many times.

Yes, our human tendency to connect with others around us at work is, I think, quite a useful lever for HR and the owners of such companies. They can use it to milk loyalty (your direct manager and colleagues are great people, you interact with them every day, why wouldn't you work your arse off the help them out!), while at the strategic level they will replace you with a robot, an algorithm, a younger cheaper worker, or a third world worker in an eye-blink if possible.:pac:

I once did some contract work for a company who used the internet to try and set up people the wanted to 'manage' out: give them very very little/zero real work to do, give them fast unthrottled internet access, relative privacy, then sit back and wait. Like a form of torture... From what I recall it was inevitably only a matter of time before official internet policy was breached and could be shown to have been breached. I got out of there soon after, too much unpleasantness brewing for my taste so not sure how many people were managed out/fired in this manner but I witnessed two in six months. One was an older guy, many years service, holding out for a good potential redundancy... I genuinely felt bad for him
Nasty company, with a lot of nasty people, but it happens.

GalwayGrrrrrl

If you have spare time register for a course that interests you that is vaguely relevant to your job- management, quality, software skills etc. Ask your company to pay for it (they might). When you get your free time pull out your books and get reading. Win-win! You'll probably tell me it's going to be an online course, but I'm sure you could print off the necessary reading material if needs be.
OR - bring your smartphone to the toilet

dresden8

Wanderer2010 wrote: »

I cant make head not tail of your post I'm afraid.

You're probably proud to work for free.

AryaStark

Clampdown wrote: »

Tbh I'd say it's an empty enough threat. If the majority of the workforce have pcs connected online you must need it for work somehow otherwise why would they have it and pay for it. And why pay for it to 'block it.'

I'd just stay off it a week and then go back to the way it was. If anyone says anything, don't make a big deal, close it down and say sorry. If they block it then I would stop staying late. But they probably won't, it would be stupid to have a workplace offline in 2017.

They will just block certain sites I would say. I was a manager in an office before and we had a couple of people who spent most of the day on Digital Spy! It was an It help desk. These two workers would take calls but be on the forums on digital spy. There was a lot of training courses available for people to do in down time and recommended ways to pass the time efficiently without browsing the internet during office time.
We blocked access to Digital Spy. There was also a guy who used to access bookies and bet on horses during work hours. These sites were also blocked.