Misuse of the Internet at the workplace

Abstract

Five female employees are dismissed for misuse of e-mail at the workplace. One is dismissed on the ground of abusing her employer's e-mail policy by distributing religious and motivational material and the other four are dismissed for sending out pornographic material on the first day of spring, in the form of a bouquet of penises. This is only one example of the numerous sensational incidents that have been reported of late in the media relating to the misuse of e-mail and the internet at the workplace (Herman "Misbruik jou Personeel Internet en E-pos?" Finansies en Tegniek 2000-6-23 30, Business Editor "Cyber Loafing new Employee Problem" Eastern Province Herald 2000-10-9 6, Ord "Could you be a Cyber Loafer?" Daily News 2000-10-12 10, Anstey "Women fired for e-mailing 'porn"' Sunday Times 2001-01-21 25, Swanepoel and Van der Westhuizen "Kuberpret kan Werkgewers Miljoene Kos" Beeld 2001-01-25 13, Rickard and Anstey "'Naughty' e-mail now a hot legal Issue" Sunday Times 2001-01-28 30).