Recent media reports about public servants being dismissed or penalised for accessing inappropriate material or 'browsing' client records, have underlined the dangers of ignoring workplace internet and email guidelines.
Unfortunately this negative publicity can reflect badly on the overwhelming majority of staff who perform their duties with great diligence and care.
It's clear that employers are responsible for ensuring staff are regularly made aware of their workplace internet and email policy.
However to avoid any 'career-limiting' mistakes, the CPSU strongly recommends all employees make themselves aware of the protocols in their workplace... and stick by them.
Employers today have access to sophisticated monitoring techniques. Which means all policy breaches big or small can be discovered, in some cases, many years after they occurred.
Therefore it is vitally important to delete any inappropriate material you may receive.
You also need to be aware that the definition of offensive material does not depend on whether you or the sender find the material offensive, but on whether the material would be considered offensive to others.
Union support and advice
While the CPSU does provide advice, support and representation for union members under investigation for these sorts of matters, we do not condone browsing or the access and circulation of inappropriate material. Our involvement in these sorts of cases has focuses on ensuring:
members are fully aware of their rights and responsibilities
members are treated fairly and with natural justice
there is consistency in relation to the investigation process and penalties
investigations occur in a fair, open and transparent manner
all relevant circumstances are included in any investigations.
Appropriate use of the internet is likely to remain a volatile issue - particularly in public sector agencies - therefore it is vitally important that employees do everything they can to follow the rules on browsing and meet your workplace's expectations around privacy and usage.
