The national poll from Robert Half Technology includes responses from more than 1,400 CIOs from a stratified random sample of U.S. companies with 100 or more employees.

Which of the following best describes your company's policy regarding employee access to the Web? Corporate policy is combined with software that blocks certain content from employees 37% We have a corporate policy that details acceptable Web browsing by employees 14% No policies are in place to limit Web browsing by employees 17% Employees do not have Web access 4% Other/don't know 1% Source: Robert Half Technology

CIOs also were asked, "Which of the following are reasons for your company's policies limiting employees' Web browsing?" Among those who limit employee Web access, 75 percent it was to prevent employees from accessing inappropriate content at work; 71 percent said to prevent virus attacks, installation of malware, etcetera; and 62 percent said to keep employees from wasting time at work.

"All companies should have a corporate policy in place that outlines acceptable Web use by employees," said Katherine Spencer Lee, executive director of Robert Half Technology. "Communicating and explaining Web access policies, along with the risks associated with Web browsing, helps employees understand why these guidelines are in place."

Lee noted that it is crucial to inform new staff of expectations from day one. "Including Web access policies in new-hire training and restating the information on the company intranet or in internal newsletters, for example, reinforces this message."