Internet misuse costs firms €300m

E-MAIL and internet abuse costs Irish business over €300 million in productivity losses every year, according to the Small Firms Association (SFA).

But the lobbying group warned that employers face even greater costs by leaving themselves open to legal action from employees who feel harassed or bullied by colleagues who use email or the internet to circulate unwelcome material.

SFA assistant director Patricia Callan said 57% of companies had no formal policy in place to counteract abuse of e-mail and internet facilities. She warned that it was important that companies realised they would be held responsible for the actions of employees, even if they engaged in certain activities without their employer's consent.