People watching porn at work is not exactly breaking news. Due to the ease of internet porn access a ‘quick porn break’ can feel like a harmless relief for the stressed out employees.
But pornography in the workplace is not just a harmless distraction – it is a toxic habit.
Watching porn at work not only affects employee wellbeing and productivity but also creates an insensitive and hostile work environment. Exposing unwilling coworkers to porn is sexual harassment and can lead to serious legal consequences.
Let’s have a closer look at what porn at work is costing the organizations and how they can address it.
How Common Is Watching Porn at Work?
Prevalence of porn at the workplace is a common (but often hidden) workplace habit.
In the year 2013, 25% of working adults admitted to looking at pornography on a computer at work in a Forbes Survey. More recent surveys have revealed the alarming fact that two-thirds (63%) of men and over a third (36%) of women acknowledged viewing pornography during work hours.
Another surprising statistic is that 70% of all online pornography access occurs between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. – the typical business hours. Considering the social and cultural stigma surrounding porn-use, it is safe to assume that the actual extent of porn at work is much higher than self-reported numbers.
In a shocking incident the city of Baltimore fired one of the supervisors for watching porn DVDs at work. Investigators found that he was spending 39 of his 80 weekly working hours watching porn. So, in a year he would have spent 950 hours of taxpayer funded time which amounts to $28,000 of his salary watching porn.
Why Do Employees Watch Porn on the Clock?
Employees watching porn at work is rarely about sexual arousal. There is a complex combination of workplace dynamics, psychological factors, and personal challenges that drive pornography work.
1. Disengagement
When employees are disengaged and feel a lack of purpose, they will engage in cyberloafing to pass the time. This behavior is linked to the workplace trend of ‘quiet quitting’ – where employees maintain a bare minimum level of performance to avoid termination.
In this case, employees feel a fundamental disconnect from the organization’s work and goals. So, porn becomes a time-filler along with activities such as online shopping and scrolling social media.
2. Workplace Mental Health & Stress Context
Viewing porn can become a coping mechanism of escaping the workspace stress. Negative emotional states of anxiety and stress are strongly linked to porn use. Suppose the employer blocks access to porn without addressing the challenges of the work environment.
Then, as the underlying mental health issues and stress remain, the employees might find more harmful coping mechanisms.
3. Compulsive Habit
Some employees might be struggling with Problematic Porn Use (PPU). So, their compulsive pornography urges drive risky and inappropriate porn watching at work. Watching porn can affect the brain’s reward pathways just as addictive substances.
So, an individual will develop tolerance and look for more extreme stimulation. A constant craving for porn can make the employees neglect their responsibilities and watch porn instead of working.
4. Workplace Victimization
Studies have shown a direct correlation between the psychological distress of workplace victimization and watching porn at work for coping. A toxic work environment can result in feelings of isolation and loneliness.
Affected employees can turn to porn for mood regulation and relief from strong negative emotions. When employees perceive organizational support, it can act as a buffer for stress and remove the need for porn at work.
The Consequences of Watching Porn at Work?
Porn at work is not just a harmless diversion that affects productivity. It can have serious negative consequences on employee wellness, work environment, and the organization’s culture.
1. Productivity, Cognitive Costs & “Cyber-Loafing”
Watching porn at work is a common form of cyberloafing that affects employee performance and can cause financial loss. In the initial days of internet porn i.e. in 2010 itself, a security company Webroot estimated that porn at work was costing US companies $16.9 billion in losses annually.
Apart from the financial costs, porn can also affect cognitive skills such as decision making and focus. With habitual porn use at work employees might find complex tasks too overwhelming. The distracted employees are also more likely to make mistakes at work.
2. Mental Health & Psychological Well‑Being
Compulsive porn use can actually increase stress and anxiety rather than resolve it in the long term. As porn dysregulates the brain’s dopamine reward system, employees experience poor self-regulation and lack of impulse-control.
Employees who rely on porn for relief often get stuck in the vicious cycle where the guilt and shame of porn keeps them prisoners. When the employees are anxious about getting caught watching porn at work, it undermines even the temporary relief of the quick porn break during work hours.
3. Workplace Ethics & the Risk of Dehumanization
Displaying pornography or watching pornography at work can expose it to unwilling coworkers. This constitutes sexual harassment and results in a hostile work environment. Such insensitive and inappropriate interactions can rupture the social fabric of the organization.
Pornography can shape how we view other relationships. It can create a tendency of objectification where an individual becomes less empathetic about their coworkers. This dehumanization leads to harassment and disrespect in the workplace.
4. Physical & Relational Spillover
People with compulsive porn habits often have disordered lives and relationships as porn urges disrupt their daily routines. Partners often feel betrayed and inadequate when they discover their partner’s porn use. Over time porn use can also deplete emotional intimacy and result in lower relationship satisfaction.
Excessive porn use is linked to a host of physical performance issues such as Erectile Dysfunction (ED) and reduced appetite for real sex. Porn can also alter an individuals sexual preferences and desensitize the person to sexual violence and extreme acts.
5. Ethical & Legal Considerations
Technically speaking watching porn at work is not a crime in legal terms. However, almost all companies have policies that prohibit it. Another key distinction is that, as the workplace is public, the risk of exposure to unwilling adults or minors can have serious legal consequences.
Courts have also ruled that unwanted exposure to explicit content in the workplace constitutes sexual harassment. Even if the porn is accessed privately by the employee its presence itself is a violation of company policy and state laws that regulate use of workplace resources.
Can you get fired for watching porn at work?
Employers take cases of watching porn at work very seriously as they have a potential for sexual harassment. Although generally treated as misdemeanours, extreme cases or repeat offenses can result in loss of employment.
Case 1 – New Yorker Writer Jeffrey Toobin
Toobin was caught masturbating while he was on a work Zoom call in 2020. He had assumed that the camera was off and he was on mute during a serious editorial meeting. The distinguished contributor to The New Yorker and CNN was fired following the incident.
Case 2 – University of Miami Professor
When the professor was screensharing during a lesson, eagle-eyed students noted a bookmark for an adult website on his bookmarks bar. The exposure lasted for only eight seconds; however, the students had recorded a clip and shared it on TikTok. The University fired the professor for professional misconduct.
Spotting the Behavior: What to Do If You Catch Someone
Identifying signs of watching porn at work early can help employers avoid legal risks. It also helps to maintain a healthy workspace by supporting struggling employees. Spotting such behavior is also a proactive approach that helps to treat incidents of watching porn at work as misconduct.
1. Spot the Symptoms
Employers and HR should be attuned to subtle signs of pornography work, such as secretive behavior, lost time, and a dip in productivity. Company channels and networks should also be monitored for obscene content and communication.
2. Structured Reporting Mechanisms
Set up clear protocols for employees to follow if they notice that a co-worker is indulging in pornography work. Establish channels for discreet notification of such behavior to the supervisor or HR department.
3. Clear Investigation Protocols
Establish a clear procedure for investigating the reports of porn at work place. Employees may have to conduct fact-finding meetings and disciplinary hearings. Ensure that the accused also has a chance to put forth his side.
Breaking the Habit: Tips for Employees
Here is how employees can take personal responsibility for preventing porn in workplace.
- Recognize your triggers at work, such as boredom or a slump in workload. Plan healthier breaks, such as going for a short walk.
- Sign out of any distracting Apps and websites during work hours. If your employer is not using an adult content blocker, install one on your own to protect yourself from temptation.
- Stay busy and engaged by having a clear work agenda for the day. Avoid boredom by switching tasks and taking up new responsibilities at work.
- Often porn habit is a coping mechanism for an underlying emotional or mental health issue. Address it with professional support or therapy for long-term recovery.
- Stay accountable by looping in a trusted coworker or your spouse. Overcome the shame and guilt to seek the help you need.
Breaking the Habit: Tips for Organizations
Employers have a crucial role to play in preventing pornography in the workplace and supporting their employees’ productivity.
- Establish a clear policy that prohibits accessing porn on work systems and networks. Communicate it clearly to the employees in the handbook and also send refresher notices from time to time.
- Regularly communicate expectations of digital behavior expected at the workplace. Remind the employees during meetings that there is no privacy on the company network.
- Use technical controls such as porn blockers to automatically filter the adult content and non-work sites on company networks.
- Establish a formal disciplinary procedure in case of violations and follow it consistently. Fair and consistent enforcement acts as a deterrent for other employees.
- Foster a positive culture and avoid employee boredom by ensuring that the workers are engaged to prevent cyberloafing. Provide counseling and therapy support to offending employees.
How BlockP helps in stopping Porn?
BlockP is the best free porn blocker for making your workspace porn-free. It also helps the employees stay focused and improves productivity by restricting digital distractions.
- BlockP uses a VPN for network-level filtering of adult content, whether in the form of text, images, or video. Its AI scans web pages and Apps in real time to filter explicit content as you browse.
- With the accountability feature of BlockP, you can get notification when someone tries to access porn. On devices, BlockP redirects the user when they try to access adult content.
- You can prevent uninstalling and unblocking BlockP with a password. As the App or the extension works even in incognito mode, it provides a high degree of protection.
- BlockP already blocks millions of adult websites. You can even add specific websites to this list or add custom keyword filters.
- The whitelist feature enables employees to have uninterrupted access to specific websites, providing a seamless work experience. BlockP also has a focus mode where distracting Apps are restricted.
FAQ on Watching Porn at Work
1. Is watching porn at work illegal?
There is no Federal law that bans pornography in the workplace. However, almost all companies have rules against watching adult content at work. It is considered sexual harassment if other co-workers are exposed to explicit content.
2. Can employers legally monitor my internet use?
Your employer has a legal right to monitor your internet use on their computers, networks, and email systems. Employers can issue a legal notification and track the websites visited, searches, and files downloaded.
3. What resources are available for addiction support?
For quitting porn addiction, you can get support from a professional therapist and join an online or offline support group. A porn blocker such as BlockP can also make recovery easier by helping you manage your urges and stay disciplined through recovery.