idllc Posted October 4, 2010 Share Posted October 4, 2010 Having been in the MEP consulting buisness for over 15 years and running my own buisness for the last 6 years, I would say to just let it go...... I would focus on your own work and tasks and give them your best. Wasting time on another man's dollar will catch up with most people. Also smart Principals usually know what is really going on anyhow sooner or later. Now, you might work for some Principals who have their heads in other places, if this is the case, you could be opening up a can of worms that you can't shut.....Just saying... Good luck with this! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
qball Posted October 12, 2010 Share Posted October 12, 2010 Interesting subject. My first year the boss called me into the office to go over the internet usage. That was when I found out he had the ability to monitor it. I believe I was given 2 warnings that year. Now I limit my internet usage during office hours to work related things. I also believe that the odd deviation is acceptable because I have no problem getting all my work done. It has not been brought up since that first year. It's up to your boss to keep you busy. If he's willing to pay you just to fill a seat and do whatever you want, that's his / her prerogative. If you are producing more work than your cyberslacking (I read that somewhere) co-workers, and it's not obvious to the boss, it may be in your best interest to make it more obvious. Especially if layoffs are in the future. (sent during office hours ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jeff H Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 If I were you and wanted to let the boss know. The best way would be to produce twice as much work as the others and if you are caught up then start creating some new standard details or blocks or something that is helpful for company. They should start wondering how you are producing more than everyone else and still able create new content for the benefit of the company. If your boss do not appreciate the extra effort the worst that comes out of it is you gain better working habitis and make a good name for yourself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack_O'neill Posted October 13, 2010 Share Posted October 13, 2010 All this stuff is the main reason that I work for me now instead of some corporation. One of my previous employers had a large number of employees who's main function seemed to be keeping tabs on everyone around them. These people weren't in any position of authority, they were to use a juvenile term simply "tattle tales". We even had one guy that would come and "check" on you if you were in the bathroom longer than he thought was necessary. "You've been gone a long time...just making sure you're ok..." I tested him once, just to see. Took him 5 minutes to "become concerned" and check on me. About the third time he did this, I told him that I was 50 years old, and that I and mother nature would decide when I went to the bathroom and for how long, and that he needed to mind his business. An hour later, got a call from the department manager wanting to talk to me. Yes, it was about the nut that was timing bathroom breaks. He's told on me for telling him to butt out. Boss tried to say "well, he's been here a long time and he's just that way. You have to understand..." I said no, I don't have to understand, and if did it again I'd handle it through HR. He of course didn't want that and said he'd talk to him but that it really hadn't done much good over the years. This guy had been moved from one department to the other because of all this and for me not to take it seriously, that he just liked to stir up trouble. My point is simply this. If you want to create a hostile work environment, start keeping tabs on your coworkers and giving regular reports to the boss. You'll not only alienate your coworkers, your bosses for the most part will lose respect for you as well. If you're worried about how much time gets wasted, start charting how much time you spend trying to catch someone else not working as opposed to how much time you spend on your own job. Cut that out and your own productivity will go up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harycad Posted December 10, 2010 Share Posted December 10, 2010 This is popular, you must take it easy. If you are not boss, you may not worry about it. Some research say officer spend a lot of time on Internet. This is not small office trouble. The problem is the project have a deadline, and your boss or your direct boss have to force people finish the work. If they can not finish, they will get trouble. When they are free, they can surf Internet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teeds Posted December 11, 2010 Share Posted December 11, 2010 All this stuff is the main reason that I work for me now instead of some corporation. I'm in the same boat. I've been self employed for 13+ years. I left corporate architecture just when email was becoming popular and everyone was discovering the web. Realizing how much time I read and 'research' on the web, it would drive me crazy to even consider how much time is likely wasted in many firms. I know some folks that probably waste well over 50% of their day, but the corporations don't seem to care ... or know ... not sure which Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
detailershub Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 As far as you have done your work mandated to you on time and as required, thats all that matters. The rest is a passing cloud. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
designerstuart Posted April 27, 2011 Share Posted April 27, 2011 i think a lot of valuable work gets done in downtime, and i learn a great deal from surfing the CADTutor waves. so i don't think it's a simple case of wasting time or not wasting time, as sometimes you'll learn some nice tricks that will save a lot of time when you were really just messing about. plus i expect the majority of this forum is run on paid time...... am i wrong?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DANIEL Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 my practice has been if the work is getting done I don't care, but you better be getting your work done and done right or you will feel my wrath! lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biscuits Posted May 5, 2011 Share Posted May 5, 2011 I agree with Daniel. Unfortunately "slackers" end up creating more work for those with their nose to the grindstone. I let my boss know my thoughts on this at our yearly review...sometimes to no avail. Since I'm the primary Cad cusomizer.... those who slack do without and end up looking more and more worthless. Eventually they're out the door. Payback's a b*t*h!:wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
christillis Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 plus i expect the majority of this forum is run on paid time...... am i wrong?! That made me chuckle, you're not wrong! :-) In response to gbelous original question/comment post, I would do the following, considering the size of the company: First of all, reduce your own usage of the internet for personal reasons, or keep it to only your lunch hour. Do this for a good month or so. Suggest to a higher up that time is being wasted during the day on 'personal web reasons', such as Facebook. Advise him that the below is possible. Have an IT person (or yourself if competent) place a block on the obvious personal websites (Facebook, eBay, etc.) and via LAN logs, check traffic to other sites. This can be set to block ONLY during working hours, for instance the block is completely lifted between 12-2pm. Doing the above avoids conflict with other staff and ensures you don't look bad or become a hate figure for other staff. If the higher up would rather investigate further and then warn BEFORE placing any block, simply enable logging on the router and print/view every week to show as proof. Luckily I work in a 'mature' company that has no youngun's in it, so the problem isn't so bad - that's not to say it doesn't happen at all, but only during the quiet periods. It's the modern version of claiming you're visiting a client, when really you're on one of 18 holes in sunny weather :wink: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jack_O'neill Posted July 30, 2011 Share Posted July 30, 2011 That made me chuckle, you're not wrong! :-) In response to gbelous original question/comment post, I would do the following, considering the size of the company: First of all, reduce your own usage of the internet for personal reasons, or keep it to only your lunch hour. Do this for a good month or so. Suggest to a higher up that time is being wasted during the day on 'personal web reasons', such as Facebook. Advise him that the below is possible. Have an IT person (or yourself if competent) place a block on the obvious personal websites (Facebook, eBay, etc.) and via LAN logs, check traffic to other sites. This can be set to block ONLY during working hours, for instance the block is completely lifted between 12-2pm. Doing the above avoids conflict with other staff and ensures you don't look bad or become a hate figure for other staff. If the higher up would rather investigate further and then warn BEFORE placing any block, simply enable logging on the router and print/view every week to show as proof. Luckily I work in a 'mature' company that has no youngun's in it, so the problem isn't so bad - that's not to say it doesn't happen at all, but only during the quiet periods. It's the modern version of claiming you're visiting a client, when really you're on one of 18 holes in sunny weather :wink: My suggestion is the same as a year ago when this thread started. "Mind your business". Nothing will create a hostile work environment faster than this sort of stuff. If you got time to tattle on your fellows, you either ain't got enough to do or you ain't doin' what ya got. Your employer will see you as a suck up, your coworkers will view you as the knife yielding enemy ready to stab them in the back first chance you get and believe me, that old saying about pay back being a female dog of breeding age is true. They will and you won't like it. You want to make an impression, excel at doing your own job, don't sweat what everybody else is doing. Get your stuff done, ask for more. You won't have time to care if Joe is on Facebook or Sally is talking to her boyfriend on line 1 and her husband on line 2. Find ways to improve the process, cut down how long it takes to do a task, all that sort of stuff. Be the first guy to add paper to the copier, or dump the recycle bin. Make your desk/office/whatever a model of neatness and efficiency. Not only will you impress your superiors, but you'll be amazed at how much less stress you have in your life. Become the "go to" guy when something absolutely has to be done correctly. Stay out of office gossip. When someone asks "did you hear about..." reply with "no, I was busy with my project" or words to that effect. If the person persists in telling you, politely apologize and excuse yourself back to work. A few times of that, and you'll start getting left out of the gossip. Don't reply or forward joke, cartoons or links to non business stuff. Forget you have an internet connection unless you need it for work. Rise above that crap, don't wallow in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sternbrandon Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 I am from a small office (3 drafters, 1 office manager and 2 principals) and I have seen a growing use of the internet and a LOT of time being wasted looking stuff up, playing games, chatting, etc. I am definitely not innocent in this, but I am just wondering from personal experience, how much might this be affecting the bottom line...both in office profit and projects just taking that much longer to get completed and being accurate. I want to raise the alert to the principals, but not be a rat. I see a lot of time being spend pointlessly online...researching cad commands or finding blocks is one thing, but reading a blog about your favorite sports team for an hour is another. Any feedback is greatly appreciated. Our office is small and our hours have already been cut by 8. If project productivity can help, I am all for it. I know I am sick and tired of going back to look at someones work and see that it isn't complete or accurate and wonder why that is. It definitely contributes to a great loss to the company. This infographic should help you see how much productivity loss (40%) the company would be suffering from gaming, social media and personal checking of emails. It's quite alarming really. Maybe it's time to considering having a social media policy or basically a strict usage policy and monitoring of usage of computers to regulate everyone's work hours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tiger Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 It definitely contributes to a great loss to the company. This infographic .... A very pretty infographic, brought to you by a company that sells time management software. Just saying. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyke Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 We don't have any of those problems. We are one company in a group of companies and the Chairman listens to the Group IT Manager, who sits in on all Management Meetings. The IT Man has a policy in all of the group that no workstation can have an internet connection. Our networks are strictly OFFLINE. In each office of each company there is a dedicated internet computer, which is highly visible to the person in charge of the office. It is then obvious who is in the internet and for how long. There is a general rule that only in personal time can staff access the internet for personal use, in work time it must be work related. And it works very well. There is also a similar rule for the use of the telephone, and mobile phones can only be used in work time in an emergency. As we receive and deliver a lot of our work via email it is a bind having to copy everything onto a USB stick before it can be sent and it is definitely a disadvantage that costs time, but when I see what is happening where people have internet access on their workstation I think we are saving, in the long run, loads of time, hence money. The people in my company don't have a problem with the policy at all. They know if there is a good reason they only have to ask and permission will be granted. Another advantage of our system is that we never get any viruses in our network. The only way in is via portable media, USBs, CDs or the like, and our antivirus software automatically checks them when they are connected. But back to the OP, I can only agree with many others here, be very careful and keep your own nose clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Organic Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 No email even? So what, everyone has to send and receive email from the one computer with internet access? To be honest it does sound pretty backwards lol. Why wouldn't IT just block all the typical news, email, social media sites etc and then check the list of sites accessed each week and remove those accessed/used too often. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tyke Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 We have two computers with internet access (for 15 peolple ) and everyone has their own email account. It is very backwards, but when the big boss says it has to done that way then it will be done that way, Germans are not reknowned for their gentlness or understanding of other peoples views. The IT Man is also a bit of a dinosaur, but as long as he has the bosses ear nothing will change. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackBox Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Huh... Who would have thought the German's would implement such stringent, bass-ackwards rules. Nein! Although, if that is what's required to produce the awesome Hefeweizen Germany is known for... well, I just might reconsider. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sternbrandon Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 A very pretty infographic, brought to you by a company that sells time management software. Just saying. Well, maybe that sounds just right? They are selling a time management software so maybe they should be the ones who know best about time wasted and such. They maybe right or wrong about the infographic but in a way I think that was right. We are one company in a group of companies and the Chairman listens to the Group IT Manager, who sits in on all Management Meetings. The IT Man has a policy in all of the group that no workstation can have an internet connection. Our networks are strictly OFFLINE. In each office of each company there is a dedicated internet computer, which is highly visible to the person in charge of the office. It is then obvious who is in the internet and for how long. There is a general rule that only in personal time can staff access the internet for personal use, in work time it must be work related. And it works very well. There is also a similar rule for the use of the telephone, and mobile phones can only be used in work time in an emergency. Wow. That is pretty tough. What about if it is a company that requires everyone to use the internet? It's pretty much a case to case basis. Good to know this system works for you though. To be honest it does sound pretty backwards lol. Why wouldn't IT just block all the typical news, email, social media sites etc and then check the list of sites accessed each week and remove those accessed/used too often. We've tried this before. Seems like the more we did, the more they tried to access it. lol. You know. proxies and such. But, it's definitely the first thing to do in such situation. Making everyone offline as suggested in the previous one is very much a disaster for some cases. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Organic Posted August 30, 2011 Share Posted August 30, 2011 We do easily more than half of our communication with clients through email, so restricting email access here would not work at all lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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