Judge: Employee Web surfing not unreasonable

[Powerhouse]

http://www.cnn.com/2006/LAW/04/24/web.surf.ap/index.html


Tuesday, April 25, 2006; Posted: 2:45 a.m. EDT (06:45 GMT)

NEW YORK (AP) -- Surfing the Web at work is equivalent to reading a newspaper or talking on the phone, an administrative law judge said in recommending the lightest possible punishment for a city worker accused of disregarding warnings to stay off the Internet.

The case involved Toquir Choudhri, a 14-year veteran of the Department of Education, whose office computer had been used to visit news and travel Web sites.

"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," Administrative Law Judge John Spooner said in recommending only a reprimand for Choudhri.

The judge noted that city agencies allow workers to make personal calls if it doesn't interfere with their work performance.

Choudhri's lawyer, Martin Druyan, called the ruling "very reasonable."

[agogoboots]

A similar thing that needs consideration is the cell phone policy of school systems. In all public schools I know of they are banned. There is punishment for the student plus a $20 fine to the parent if caught with one on school grounds.

Cell phones are now common SAFETY DEVICES for children. What if someone approaches a little kid walking home from the bus stop? What if a teen needs a ride home from band and the school is locked?

Cingular's Firefly, which has no numeric keypad and can only dial the numbers a parent programs in, is made and marketed as a child safety device for use between shcool and home.

Teens may continue to break the rules, but little kids aren't so adaptive.

[socrfan2]

I don't get what the prob is with cell phones. Most school systems around here say "of course you can have a cell phone, you just can't have it on or use it in the school building during school." Which makes eminent sense to me and doesn't interfere in the slightest with their use in any of the scenarios you mention.

[Parklane64]

Most educators are narrow-minded knee-jerks.

[microbes]

you just can't have it on or use it in the school building during school.

So the kids sit it in their lap and send text messages back and forth.

My niece has been suspended twice for that (sending text messages during class).

Nothing wrong with them having a phone if they don't use them in class, but if you don't think they get used in class.....

[socrfan2]

No, I'm sure they get used in class, for exactly what you said -- text messaging either test questions or just "hi, howru?" I don't see why the fact that people will violate the rule invalidates the rule, and, while most educators may indeed be "narrow minded knee jerks," I hardly see why a "no cell phone use" rule supports that thesis. I think it's eminently reasonable and I don't see how the rule affects any of the concerns in the OT.