The internet is a great tool that has changed the way business is done around the world, but it also has its fair share of problems. For one, how can companies be sure their employees aren't spending the day zapping aliens on a Flash game or catching up with gossip on Facebook?

Internet access can be a very touchy subject at many organizations. Putting too many controls in place can engender some hostility and feelings of "big brother" discontent. Even worse, some blocking and filtering software can do a poor job of deciding what is legitimate content and what's not.

Rather than forcing content policies down employee throats via programs, it might be a better idea to instead focus on making sure employees are aware of use policies. Employees can easily circumvent filtering software with a simple proxy, so making sure employees are aware of use policies is by far the best means of preventing time wasting.

Companies should try to avoid spying on employees as much as possible. Some companies go as far as installing keyloggers and other such spy software on employee computers. This kind of spying is invasive, hostile, and potentially open to legal ramifications. Employees are likely to discover that they are being monitored, which could potentially lead to a general feeling of discontent and employee disengagement.

According to some studies, employees spend as much as an hour of the work day just checking personal email and surfing non-work related content. Overcoming this problem is largely a matter of changing company culture. Making it clear that such time wasting is unacceptable is a great way to begin curbing those activities. Many employees say they engage in such activity because the company has made its policies vague, and does not provide a clear direction or work agenda in the first place.

Should initial policy fail to have an effect, it may be necessary to counsel individual employees on their internet usage. It should be made clear that the internet is a tool for productivity, not the checking of personal email. If an employee has a problem with following the internet policy, it might be a good idea to track their usage, but only if they have provided a reason for such supervision. Targeted supervision of internet activity can be a much more effective means of monitoring internet use than a blanket policy that snoops into employee activity.