Judge: Web-Surfing Worker Can't Be Fired NEW YORK - Saying surfing the web is equivalent to reading a newspaper or talking on the phone, an administrative law judge has suggested that only a reprimand is appropriate as punishment for a city worker accused of failing to heed warnings to stay off the Internet.
Administrative Law Judge John Spooner reached his decision in the case of Toquir Choudhri, a 14-year veteran of the Department of Education who had been accused of ignoring supervisors who told him to stop browsing the Internet at work.
The ruling came after Mayor Michael Bloomberg fired a worker in the city's legislative office in Albany earlier this year after he saw the man playing a game of solitaire on his computer.
In his decision, Spooner wrote: "It should be observed that the Internet has become the modern equivalent of a telephone or a daily newspaper, providing a combination of communication and information that most employees use as frequently in their personal lives as for their work."
He added: "For this reason, city agencies permit workers to use a telephone for personal calls, so long as this does not interfere with their overall work performance. Many agencies apply the same standard to the use of the Internet for personal purposes."
Spooner dispensed the lightest possible punishment on Choudhri, a reprimand, after a search of Choudhri's computer files revealed he had visited several news and travel sites.
Martin Druyan, Choudhri's lawyer, called the ruling "very reasonable."
My boss has actually addressed the Internet use at my work. He says "I know you guys are paid less than you really deserve, so I don't mind you surfing the net while you do your jobs as long as it doesn't affect quality".
He's right though. I don't get paid nearly enough.
I wish that would work at a private school. They have us on such a tight lesh here that they went so far as to take everyones' lap tops and install a program called DyKnow just so they can see what we are doing in class. I'm at school right now so they might even be able to see this.
College Tuition: $12,000
Room & Board: $5,600
Books: $500
Food Plan: $2000
Not going to college and living with your parents: Priceless
I've terminated quite a few employees (less than a dozen, more than 5) for computer use issues. Two were because they accessed adult websites at work. I basically tell them, as long as work gets done and you're not surfing questionable material, go right ahead.
AEMRICH wrote:I wish that would work at a private school. They have us on such a tight lesh here that they went so far as to take everyones' lap tops and install a program called DyKnow just so they can see what we are doing in class. I'm at school right now so they might even be able to see this.
That's some serious big brother type stuff right there.
knapplc wrote:
acsguitar wrote:woo hooo!
Wheres Knaps he's like a firing guy lawyer or something
"Firing guy lawyer?" What is that?
Did you notice that I'm the one who posted the article?
Glad to see that people can check the news, email, etc., while at work now. Like the article said, it's really no different than reading the daily newspaper (the information is just more up to date, and free to boot).
Yes doctor, I am sick. Sick of those who are spineless. Sick of those who feel self-entitled. Sick of those who are hypocrites. Yes doctor, an army is forming. Yes doctor, there will be a war. Yes doctor, there will be blood.....
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by knapplc » Tue Apr 25, 2006 9:59 am 
