Fifty-six per cent of HR professionals have purchased web monitoring software to help combat employee abuse of the internet.

These are the findings of a survey by Softworld HR & Payroll.

According to their research, a further 22% are considering the purchase of monitoring software.

Interestingly however, concern about internet abuse does not seem to have stemmed organisations’ adoption of mobile working strategies.

Forty-four per cent of respondents have implemented such a strategy and 22% are considering their organisation’s response to mobile working. Sixty-six per cent have taken steps towards implementing polices designed to combat stress in the workplace. These include mobile and flexible working policies.

Liz Wood, Softworld Portfolio Director said of the research: “IT security and employee productivity are the major concerns when considering internet use. The Web is now an integral part of most business environments so HR professionals are left with a balancing act: overseeing employees on the one hand while offering workforces the freedom to work in a way that increases their productivity and commitment on the other. This research suggests that many professionals are looking at these issues and are hitting that balance”.

The twice yearly Softworld HR & Payroll event is back this Spring between 2-3 March, exhibiting at Olympia, London.