Every workplace has its perks and flaws in terms of the environment, people, job roles, ground rules but above all is what matters the most, all hail the access to Internet! Living in the era of technology, we are naturally lured to the web, through social media, news updates or even researches. Especially if you’re working at an office environment, you’d surely understand the role that the Internet plays on your day to day chores.
Corporates with a high number of employees under their wing, usually limit Internet access to the software and respective data processing systems to avoid misuse of company property, but many startups, advertising and technology firms believe that limitless Internet access is the key to a valued output. Here are a few Pros and Cons of unrestricted Internet access at the office.
Pros
Daily Inspiration
No matter what kind of a job you do, be it a creative designer’s role or a bank staff’s role, as humans we all need a dose of inspiration and a little motivation to kick start our energy nerves time to time, which helps us do better at what we do. Through the unrestricted Internet, employees of an office could find their preferred mode of daily inspiration, it could be motivational videos, funny memes, or quotes that keeps them up and running throughout the day.
Happy Employees
Looking at the highlight, happy employees are the key to success. The best way to keep your employees happy is through great fellowship, good food and unlimited Internet. The happier they are, the better the work gets and employees would feel comfortable. Many workplaces nowadays use the Network Segmentation method to categorize and define restrictions, that way meeting deadlines while keeping everyone happy is easier.
A breath of fresh air
Connecting you to the world brings you a great deal of relief and a breath of fresh air from your routinely day to day life. Especially if you’re in the Creative or Technology industry, having your mind clear and conscious plays a major role in your work output. Through limitless, unrestricted internet access, you could log into your social media accounts, peep into personal gossips or even surf through the web for memes to calm your mind.
Building company image
Many offices, especially startups love to show off their company’s culture and image to be of exciting, fun, free and a great place to work. One of the biggest pros for that structuring of an image is the restriction of an organization. The less it is, the more fun it gets. And limitless data is the ultimate goal, and once you tell a person outside of your organization, word travels faster than light, which also helps the company develop an image and culture of its own.
Staying updated
One of the most important facts about unrestricted Internet access is, staying up to date with the latest news of your respective industry, trends and competitor status. No matter what kind of job you do, sustaining requires the ability to adapt to change and acquire new trends. By unrestricted Internet access, employees would be much aware of what’s happening around the world without being restricted to their routinely work.
Cons
As much as interesting and convincing the advantages are, the cons come quite shoulder-to-shoulder. Let’s take a look.
Data safety
No matter how much of a valued Internet could provide employees in an organization, there’s always the question of safety. Especially companies like banks, security, legal and consultation firms tend to have stored a vast number of confidential data on their systems which could be leaked to a third party or a competitor by an employee. To avoid such data breaches taking place, limiting Internet access is understandable.
Saving monitory-wise
While some companies profit in millions, some are just startups or just getting by, barely even profiting. For them, covering overheads are costly, in the midst, having a whopping data bill in hand could be excruciating. So many organizations restrict data to the necessary work purposes only to save money.
Virus Safety
Although offices strictly use Virus guards on their network to keep their systems shielded from bugs and viruses, they do not want to take a risk on their information losing out. As it’s the 21st century, printed documents are very rare unless they are government information, and organizations prefer to not take the risk with their money-makers, hence why Internet access is restricted within employees to prevent cyber-bugs and infections.
Employee efficiency
While some employees appreciate the access granted for the unrestricted Internet by using it cautiously, some employees take it for granted on purpose. For instance, if the particular employee is not given recognition or treated well by their superior, they would simply waste time on social media or surfing the Internet. While many offices use a shared network or a WiFi connection, tracking each employee’s internet usage is impossible, hence why to make efficient employees many organizations use a restriction.
Overuse of Data
Many offices with open Internet access, later switched to restricted web access mainly due to this reason. When there’s no boundary, one wouldn’t know where to stop. Not only junior employees but managers too tend to overuse office internet without their knowledge, and due to the shared network connection tracking nor warning plays a major role. By limiting Internet access, employees would know their boundaries and would get back on track every time they wonder off on the web.
Conclusion
So there you go! If you’re an employer deciding between the two, by now you would’ve come up with your decision. If you’re an employee, be thankful for your employer for granting you the Internet connection you currently have and understand the reason why it’s restricted and limited if so. And remember, to use your connection wisely always.