UK workforce denied internet access in the office

15% of Brits browsing web from the bog

25 May 2007 8:45 GMT / By Amy-Mae Elliott

A nationwide study by T-Mobile has revealed that over a quarter of the UK’s workers, deprived of web access, are now turning to the Internet on their mobile - as miserable employers ban the Internet at work.

The study of 2000 UK adults commissioned by T-Mobile and compiled by YouGov discovered a strict attitude towards using the Internet at work.

23% of employees were subject to company policies that banned them from accessing social networking websites (wot, no Facebook?), 11% were banned from using web-based email (that's just wrong) and 7% were not even allowed to use Google (not even Google?! We're sure that contravenes some kind of basic human rights).

To deal with these draconian measures it seems nearly half of the employees surveyed (48%) use their mobile phone to access the Internet at work; from downloading music to buying groceries online, with 15% of users resorting to hiding in the toilet just to get online.

In response to the findings, T-Mobile is running a "Set the Internet Free" campaign - encouraging customers to go into any of T-Mobile's shops and try out its Web’n’walk service for free and to try the sites that matter to them, as T-Mobile believes that everyone has the right to the open internet.

Too right, workers of the UK unite! We think there needs to be some kind of revolution, and we'll be right on it as soon as we've popped to the loo to check our Hotmail…

Full tags

Biz, Surveys, Phones, Email, iPod, Zune, T-Mobile