Concerns about security, lost productivity contributing to restrictions
While three-quarters (76 per cent) of Canadian workers have access to the Internet at work, their Asian counterparts experience even easier access, according to a survey by Randstad Canada.
In China and India, 93 per cent of workers in both countries have access to the Internet at work. In Japan, 83 per cent have access as do 89 per cent of workers in Malaysia, found the Global Workmonitor which surveys 32 countries with a minimum sample size of 400 workers per country.
Canadian employers may be restricting Internet usage due to concerns about security risks and employee productivity, said Stacy Parker, executive vice-president of marketing at Randstad Canada.
"Many employers are concerned, for instance, that employees will waste time browsing, rather than using the Internet efficiently and productively. But it's important for companies to harness the comfort levels their employees have with Internet-based resources," she said. "Failure to do so could very well lead to the loss of top talent and can open the door for competitors to gain an advantage through a better equipped and enabled workforce."
Additionally, nearly one-half of all global respondents own a private smartphone which includes email from work, while the number of employees with a smartphone that is provided by their employer is significantly lower.
In Canada, 13 per cent of employees have a smartphone which includes e-mail that is provided by their employer, while another 47 per cent of respondents own a smartphone privately, found the survey.
In China (84 per cent), Hong Kong (79 per cent), India (71 per cent) and Malaysia (71 per cent), smartphone ownership is much higher than average.
