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."
knapplc wrote:I know this makes me breathe a little easier...
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."
I fired a guy for precisely this reason. I don't have a problem with my employees using the internet at work, I do, but when it interferes with work, then it either gets tossed or the employee does.
knapplc wrote:I know this makes me breathe a little easier...
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."
I fired a guy for precisely this reason. I don't have a problem with my employees using the internet at work, I do, but when it interferes with work, then it either gets tossed or the employee does.
Exactly. I spend way more time online at work than I probably should, but I meet my goals every quarter so nobody says anything.
I'm sure they'll start poking into my internet usage if I start lagging behind, but I plan on never giving them a reason to start checking.
I internet constantly at work. Problem is that I sometimes forget to do work stuff in a timely manner. I really try to get stuff done before I go back to the Web, but it doesn't always happen.
And someone I know works with some guy who looks at porn at his work...sick thing was one time he looked, and it was only guys on the screen!
The One, the Only, the Incomparable Mercer Boy. My My YouTube.
Mercer Boy wrote:I internet constantly at work. Problem is that I sometimes forget to do work stuff in a timely manner. I really try to get stuff done before I go back to the Web, but it doesn't always happen.
And someone I know works with some guy who looks at porn at his work...sick thing was one time he looked, and it was only guys on the screen!
Internet is not a verb Mercer.
I ain't no suit-wearin' businessman like you... you know I'm just a gangsta I suppose... - Avon Barksdale
Mercer Boy wrote:I internet constantly at work. Problem is that I sometimes forget to do work stuff in a timely manner. I really try to get stuff done before I go back to the Web, but it doesn't always happen.
And someone I know works with some guy who looks at porn at his work...sick thing was one time he looked, and it was only guys on the screen!
Internet is not a verb Mercer.
thats very strange: the entire internet doesnt have a verb for itself, but google does.
Kudos to Leber for the amazing sig and to Metroid for the userbar and making them both fit 2008 and 2009 Defunct Dynasty League Champion
Mercer Boy wrote:I internet constantly at work. Problem is that I sometimes forget to do work stuff in a timely manner. I really try to get stuff done before I go back to the Web, but it doesn't always happen.
And someone I know works with some guy who looks at porn at his work...sick thing was one time he looked, and it was only guys on the screen!
Internet is not a verb Mercer.
thats very strange: the entire internet doesnt have a verb for itself, but google does.
my guess the closest thing to a verb for the internet is surfing but then you could also mean actual serfing. I love using words as verbs that arent though
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by knapplc » Mon Apr 24, 2006 9:32 am 
I really try to get stuff done before I go back to the Web, but it doesn't always happen.
