Workplace porn surfers face stiff penalties

Over 70 per cent of UK companies have been forced to discipline employees for viewing pornographic images at work, a new study has found.

The survey, by the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and computer image detection company PixAlert, also found that management is still confused about what is or is not acceptable in the workplace.

Over half of managers admitted to having no idea of their personal liability for illegal pornographic images viewed by their staff at work. And two thirds of those questioned said that their computer usage policies were out of date.

"Many people may view some inappropriate computer images as a bit of harmless fun, but this is not just about sparing blushes," said Imogen Haslam, professional adviser at the CIPD.

"A culture where some dodgy pictures are tolerated can all too easily create the environment where far more offensive or even illegal images can find their way into an organisation, by accident or otherwise."

The survey of 200 companies in the UK was carried out in October and November this year.