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7/17/05

INTERNET
Bans on downloading illicit files widespread

According to a new report sponsored by PixAlert Inc. in Westford, 90 percent of the nation's 500 biggest employers have policies and procedures forbidding workers from downloading child pornography or illicit images on company computers.

The study by Delta Consulting Inc., an independent market research firm in Atlanta, found that 50 percent of the companies relied on those procedures after finding inappropriate pictures on company computers last year. And, of those who conducted formal investigations, 44 percent fired workers who violated the firms' policies.

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Even so, violations barring the downloading of child pornography and other illicit images continue unabated. The Federal Bureau of Investigation reports that from 1996 to 2002, the number of images on the Internet associated with child pornography increased by more than 1,000 percent and, specialists say, some of those images were downloaded at work.

On June 28, 59-year-old Robert Johnson, former chief executive of the printing company Bowne & Co. Inc., was indicted on child pornography charges. Reuters reported that the executive erased more than 12,000 files from the company's computers after learning last year that he was being investigated.

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Johnson, former publisher of the Long Island newspaper, Newsday, faces up to 50 years in prison and a fine of up to $750,000 for downloading child pornography.

Johnson's arrest raises an interesting question: If so many big companies have procedures in place outlawing such activity, why do people still do it?

Jack Mangan, vice president of business development for PixAlert, says some workers are addicted.

"I think the Johnson situation may be an extreme," he said. "Most employees are pushing the limit, trying to see what they can get away with or they are killing time at work."

Mangan said other employees use their break time to gamble online, or chat with friends in cyberspace. The equipment may belong to the company, but these workers are under the impression that they are guaranteed privacy on the job.

"Even though people sign policies and they understand that the company has procedures against this sort of thing, they tend to view their computers as an extension of themselves," said Mangan. "They do not see the computer as owned by the employer. Instead, they feel it's theirs and they feel they have privacy."

Under the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, companies are barred from intercepting employee e-mail as it is being transmitted, but employers can seize and sift through stored e-mail messages if they own the e-mail system. In Massachusetts, however, employers could be held liable for reading workers' e-mail unless workers have been told beforehand that they are being monitored, or the company has a legitimate business reason for monitoring its workers.

Alain Recaborde, principal of Delta Consulting, said he was taken aback that 26 percent of the managers polled by his company did not know that looking at offensive images at work could lead to charges of sexual harassment or creating a hostile work environment. In addition, only 25 percent were aware that the distribution and consumption of child pornography is now a primary priority of the FBI. Nor were 50 percent of the respondents aware that when accusations of sexual harassment or hostile work environment are made, one of the first areas that investigators search for evidence are the employers' computer files.

Instead of the legal ramifications of such behavior, Recaborde said, the study revealed that many employers were more concerned that downloading would introduce viruses into their computer systems. They also worried that the illicit pictures downloaded by workers could open their computer systems up to embedded and zipped files. Of those polled, for example, 93 percent were concerned about e-mailed attachments; 81 percent were worried about embedded files, and 73 percent said zipped files posed a significant threat.

EXECUTIVES
Study finds many face staff challenges

A leadership study by the firm, Intuit, reveals that 27 percent of 174 executives at Fortune 1000 firms say motivating and mentoring staff is their biggest challenge.

Twenty-four percent pointed to inspiring the entire company, 21 percent said inspiring their immediate management team, and 19 percent said focusing on critical tasks. In all, 9 percent said hiring and firing workers was the most difficult task.

The poll found that although executives pointed to a variety of challenges, they were most divided over how to become a leader. Of those polled, 55 percent said leadership was an acquired skill and 45 percent said it was an innate characteristic. Intuit said 67 percent of the Southerners polled felt leadership was an acquired skill.

In addition, 59 percent of the males polled felt that leadership was an acquired skill compared with 54 percent of female executives. Leading by example was chosen by 43 percent of the executives as the best way to motivate workers to do well. Thirty-eight percent said it was best to inspire with vision, and 17 percent said they would rather create a challenging work environment. Two percent said it was important to "push workers our of their comfort zone."

"These captains of industry are more likely to believe that the best leaders have operations experience more so than finance, and marketing backgrounds," said Intuit researchers.

JOB SEARCH
A broader network is a helpful resource

Most job search leads come from only 20 percent of an individual's contacts, reports ClearRock, the Boston career development and outplacement firm.

"One of the trickiest parts of the job search is to determine who your most effective job-search contacts are and then not wear out your welcome with them," said Annie Stevens, managing partner for ClearRock.

The company recommends that individuals who are looking for work should broaden the number and quality of their contacts by scheduling personal meetings, but not so many that you become a nuisance. At the same time, they say, job hunters should serve as a career resource to friends, acquaintances and associates.

To assist job hunters, the company offers the following advice:

• Attend meetings convened by professional associations or trade groups and face-to-face meetings with friends and business associates.
• Understand that 80 percent of your job search should focus on expanding the number of people you already know and improving the quality of existing relationships.
• Be aware that most employers spend only 20 percent of their recruiting efforts looking at a rèsumè.

"Dedicate the biggest percentage of your job interviewing preparation to the part that will matter most - the first few minutes, said Greg Gostanian, managing partner at ClearRock. "Dress at least one level above the position for which you are interviewing, and concentrate on creating the best first impression you can."

Gostanian also advises that job seekers have a two-minute "drill" prepared that summarizes who you are, where you've been, and what you have accomplished that is relevant to the position and the employer.

Diane E. Lewis can be reached at .

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