The Impact of Pornography on Business

In discussing the growing problem and harms associated with pornography, I hear everyday of the devastation it brings to marriages, families and children. There is no doubt that the sex industry is a scourge upon our homes and communities. But an area that is too often overlooked is the negative effect on business success.

Internet tracking services report that 70 percent of all Internet porn traffic occurs during the 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. workday. While you think your business is humming along providing the goods and services your customers demand, other non-productive activities may actually be taking place. The work environment provides individuals the perfect way out from being caught by a spouse or child at home while viewing porn. In a disturbing trend, 20 percent of men and 13 percent of women admit to accessing pornography at work. Many employees state they have accidentally been exposed to pornography with a recent survey showing 75% of employees stating they have had pornographic sites appear on their company computer. Every employee engaged in such activity, or accidentally exposed to it, impacts the productivity of every other employee by slowing down overall production. Business owners in our region report to me that hours of their own time have been wasted in dealing with this growing problem at work. Just recently, one owner relayed a story of how distracted and unproductive an employee became after becoming addicted to pornography, ultimately ending his marriage in divorce, while also making the work environment very uncomfortable for both employer and worker once the boss was made aware of the situation. Like the Grinch who stole Christmas, pornography can sneak in and steal from you as well as your employees’ lives and livelihood.

One of the most devastating losses to an employer is human capital (terminated employees) due to disciplinary actions that require termination. Your investment of education and training is lost, thereby causing more resources and capital to be used to train and educate new employees. Since smaller and medium-sized businesses often become like families to one another, personal relationships become painful and strained for everyone. No size operation is immune from the negative impact of pornography in the workplace. Over the past 12 months, 50 percent of the Fortune 500 companies report having dealt with at least one incident related to computer porn in the workplace. Offenders were fired in 44 percent of the cases. Fallout from these instances included the effects already mentioned as well as overall computer slow-down when work was performed to clean the company system.

To say the least, all of this causes a disruptive work environment at a minimum, but the damage can be far more reaching, such as harm caused to the brand and company reputation you have worked so hard to build and maintain. Then there is the issue of legal liability. As a former corporate attorney, I can tell you this repercussion is among the most serious. Employers can be held liable for possession of child pornography discovered on company-owned workplace computers, and in some states, for not reporting to proper law enforcement agencies that employees are engaging in activity related to child pornography.

Another area of vicarious liability stems from sexual harassment. It is also a paramount concern born out of unrestrained and inappropriate Internet activity. In 2007 the Dial Corporation paid $10 million to settle class action sexual harassment allegations brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. The EEOC’s lawsuit claimed widespread lewd remarks, physical assaults, displays of pornography and other acts of harassment and intimidation of female employees. This case demonstrates the high financial impact and other consequences upon a corporation because of management tolerance of inappropriate activities at just one company facility.

Fortunately, I can tell you that there are some very simple ways to protect your company and your employees:

• Discuss the serious nature and impact that pornography can have in both a personal and professional setting.
• Create an “acceptable use policy” for Internet usage.
• Create a disclaimer about the dangers of the Internet.
• Create a summary of appropriate and inappropriate uses of the Internet.
• Create a statement about avoiding frivolous/inappropriate use.
• Create a ‘no expectation of privacy’ statement that waives privacy rights over any materials sent or created using the company’s computer network.

In addition to these steps, ROCK offers employee education on the harmful effects of adult and child pornography, recommendations of resources for pornography addictions and suggestions for effective Internet filters. We stand ready to assist you in creating a great work environment. By being proactive and working with the right tools and resources at your disposal, you, your company image and your employees will be protected and more productive. This translates into higher morale and increased business success, plus sends the message that anything unhealthy for the company is unhealthy for the worker. Protecting your business is not only the smart thing to do, it is the caring thing to do and expresses to your workforce and the business community as a whole your commitment to excellence at every level. This Christmas give yourself and your employees a great gift of a wholesome work environment!