Pornography at work breeds hostility
WHILE his co- workers are going about their tasks, James, 30, an accountant, opens his favourite pornographic web page. Tilting his computer, he puts the headphones on and is glued watching videos of nude women.
By Vique-Ocean Kahinju
WHILE his co- workers are going about their tasks, James, 30, an accountant, opens his favourite pornographic web page. Tilting his computer, he puts the headphones on and is glued watching videos of nude women.
Rachel, James’ boss, is also such a huge fan of the X-rated videos at work, you might think the vice is creeping from the top downwards. If management and workers indulge in such, who is to control the other?
According to Julius Male, a Human resource manager in Kampala, pornography should be considered as an evil that must be punishable .This can be done through organisational disciplinary committees.
What is expected of workers, morally, ethically and professionally? Asks Male.
Male asserts that all organisations should be vigilant when it comes to employees work ethics.
Organisational code of conduct, rules and regulations should be spelt out clearly to all managers and employees lest deep rooted immorality sets in.
“It’s worth noting, workplace pornography has a huge set back on productivity,†cautions Male.
“In addition, this may drive workers out of pornographic dominated workplaces that are badly in need of integration, thus creating a vacuum in task delivery.
This high turnover in the long-run is depicted on the sales and profits of that particular organisation.â€
“Being addictive, most X-rated material addictees find it difficult to concentrate on work business. Often, such workers spend their quality working time watching pornography.
Given performance assessment, it is definite such individuals will score below standards,†asserts Male.
Nonetheless, Male says, management should keep a close look on what employees do with their computers or the literature material they read while at work. This helps curb the evil of watching X-rated material.
“Pornographic material can be particularly unpleasant when displayed at work, where an employee is striving to be treated as a “credible co-workerâ€, explains Male.
However, Gregory Gwayaka, a psychologist at Harambe resource center in Kampala asserts that psychologically, a work place pornography is a vice that crops up and, is addictive if not checked by management.
“Like a drug, employees who look at pornography get hooked and can not easily jump out of the habit. Men and women who are addicted to the act turn out to have perverted minds,†he adds.
“It is no doubt, pornography in workplace is not only pervasive, but evidence of a hostile working environment of sexual stalking,†he further says.
Though the habit is more common in male than female workers, women feel undermined when they see men engrossed in pornographic materials, says Gwayaka. This sends a message to the women that they do not belong at the work place but brothels.
“The existence of X-rated videos or literature materials in the workplace may undermine the employees’ sense of self-worth. This makes the conditions of their employment either unbearable or devastating.â€
“Apparently, workplace pornography does not only breed a crude work setting (where often both employers and employees use foul language), but propagates sexual harassment amongst employees,†explains Gwayaka.
Moreso, although many women find pornography, particularly in workplace settings, to be insulting, intimidating and degrading, Gwayaka says that many times different people’s cultural or religious traditions can not allow them execute work in such hostile environments.
“Also, as far as the organisation’s image is concerned, work place pornography can stain the reputation of the business,†explains Gwayaka.
“However, in the long run this does not only affect the business, but rather the entire crew of the people serving in it,†he adds.
“Most workers find pornography to be evidence of discrimination in the workplace, rather than discrimination itself,†he adds.
“Pornography in the workplace may interfere with one’s ability to perform their duties and consequently, create a hostile working environment that embraces vulgarity,†clarifies Gwayaka.
Nevertheless, cautions Gwayaka, management should note that there is a gender-based power hierarchy in some workplaces.
“This will magnify the harm of pornography because the people affected by the sexualised working conditions are mostly women, and the people deciding what to do about it are men,†he says.
Ways to avoid being addicted to pornography
Install software to filter web page content such as pornography. It will help to protect you from stumbling into pornography by accident.
Promise yourself that you will never watch pornography. Get rid of everything in your possession that is even remotely related to porn.
Do not guess web site addresses. Many porn sites have similar addresses of non-pornographic sites. Use a search engine instead.
Before you go on the internet, make a list of the things you wish to do on the internet. And when done, log off, move away from the computer and do something else.
Think carefully about why you want to avoid it. Having a strong reason for avoiding it is a great help.
When you have tempting thoughts, look into the mirror and tell yourself that you are better than that.
Adapted from wikihow.com
Types of internet addiction
Cybersex Addiction. This is the compulsive use of internet pornography and adult chat rooms, impacting negatively on real-life relationships.
Cyber-Relationship Addiction – addiction to social networking, chat rooms and messaging to the point where virtual friends become more important than real-life relationships.
Net Compulsions – such as compulsive online gaming, gambling and stock trading.
Information overload – compulsive web surfing or database searching, leading to lower work productivity and less social interaction with family and friends.
Computer Addiction – obsessive playing of off-line computer games, such as Solitaire.
Adapted from helpguide.org
WHILE his co- workers are going about their tasks, James, 30, an accountant, opens his favourite pornographic web page. Tilting his computer, he puts the headphones on and is glued watching videos of nude women.
Rachel, James’ boss, is also such a huge fan of the X-rated videos at work, you might think the vice is creeping from the top downwards. If management and workers indulge in such, who is to control the other?
According to Julius Male, a Human resource manager in Kampala, pornography should be considered as an evil that must be punishable .This can be done through organisational disciplinary committees.
What is expected of workers, morally, ethically and professionally? Asks Male.
Male asserts that all organisations should be vigilant when it comes to employees work ethics.
Organisational code of conduct, rules and regulations should be spelt out clearly to all managers and employees lest deep rooted immorality sets in.
“It’s worth noting, workplace pornography has a huge set back on productivity,†cautions Male.
“In addition, this may drive workers out of pornographic dominated workplaces that are badly in need of integration, thus creating a vacuum in task delivery.
This high turnover in the long-run is depicted on the sales and profits of that particular organisation.â€
“Being addictive, most X-rated material addictees find it difficult to concentrate on work business. Often, such workers spend their quality working time watching pornography.
Given performance assessment, it is definite such individuals will score below standards,†asserts Male.
Nonetheless, Male says, management should keep a close look on what employees do with their computers or the literature material they read while at work. This helps curb the evil of watching X-rated material.
“Pornographic material can be particularly unpleasant when displayed at work, where an employee is striving to be treated as a “credible co-workerâ€, explains Male.
However, Gregory Gwayaka, a psychologist at Harambe resource center in Kampala asserts that psychologically, a work place pornography is a vice that crops up and, is addictive if not checked by management.
“Like a drug, employees who look at pornography get hooked and can not easily jump out of the habit. Men and women who are addicted to the act turn out to have perverted minds,†he adds.
“It is no doubt, pornography in workplace is not only pervasive, but evidence of a hostile working environment of sexual stalking,†he further says.
Though the habit is more common in male than female workers, women feel undermined when they see men engrossed in pornographic materials, says Gwayaka. This sends a message to the women that they do not belong at the work place but brothels.
“The existence of X-rated videos or literature materials in the workplace may undermine the employees’ sense of self-worth. This makes the conditions of their employment either unbearable or devastating.â€
“Apparently, workplace pornography does not only breed a crude work setting (where often both employers and employees use foul language), but propagates sexual harassment amongst employees,†explains Gwayaka.
Moreso, although many women find pornography, particularly in workplace settings, to be insulting, intimidating and degrading, Gwayaka says that many times different people’s cultural or religious traditions can not allow them execute work in such hostile environments.
“Also, as far as the organisation’s image is concerned, work place pornography can stain the reputation of the business,†explains Gwayaka.
“However, in the long run this does not only affect the business, but rather the entire crew of the people serving in it,†he adds.
“Most workers find pornography to be evidence of discrimination in the workplace, rather than discrimination itself,†he adds.
“Pornography in the workplace may interfere with one’s ability to perform their duties and consequently, create a hostile working environment that embraces vulgarity,†clarifies Gwayaka.
Nevertheless, cautions Gwayaka, management should note that there is a gender-based power hierarchy in some workplaces.
“This will magnify the harm of pornography because the people affected by the sexualised working conditions are mostly women, and the people deciding what to do about it are men,†he says.
Ways to avoid being addicted to pornography
Install software to filter web page content such as pornography. It will help to protect you from stumbling into pornography by accident.
Promise yourself that you will never watch pornography. Get rid of everything in your possession that is even remotely related to porn.
Do not guess web site addresses. Many porn sites have similar addresses of non-pornographic sites. Use a search engine instead.
Before you go on the internet, make a list of the things you wish to do on the internet. And when done, log off, move away from the computer and do something else.
Think carefully about why you want to avoid it. Having a strong reason for avoiding it is a great help.
When you have tempting thoughts, look into the mirror and tell yourself that you are better than that.
Adapted from wikihow.com
Types of internet addiction
Cybersex Addiction. This is the compulsive use of internet pornography and adult chat rooms, impacting negatively on real-life relationships.
Cyber-Relationship Addiction – addiction to social networking, chat rooms and messaging to the point where virtual friends become more important than real-life relationships.
Net Compulsions – such as compulsive online gaming, gambling and stock trading.
Information overload – compulsive web surfing or database searching, leading to lower work productivity and less social interaction with family and friends.
Computer Addiction – obsessive playing of off-line computer games, such as Solitaire.
Adapted from helpguide.org