Public servants caught for improper internet use

A new report tabled in Parliament last week reveals hundreds of public employees have been investigated for “improper use of the internet or email” during the 2010 financial year.

The report also reveals that nearly 50% of those employees were members of the Australian Taxation Office.

The report, titled State of the Service, found 313 employees were investigated for improper use, representing an increase from 202 in the previous year.

“This year, as for the previous three years, the most commonly reported behaviour was improper use of the internet or email,” the report states, according to Fairfax. “Overall, the number of employees investigated for this type of misconduct increased, as did the proportion of cases where a breach was determined.”