Welcome to Community, Hasidi.

You speak yourself of 'inappropriate' websites, and this is maybe borderline: the exact, actual content matters a great deal, perhaps - e.g. was it 'just' an instance of rather extreme political content or downright racist content that was indirectly potentially unlawful as likely to incite racial hatred or to cause offence (or worse) with others who happened to see it?

The main thing is of course breach of your workplace computer use rules, irrespective of the actual content, save that it was unauthorised viewing albeit made worse if it was on view to colleagues etc and likely to cause offence and / or to bring employer into disrepute - e.g. clearly in similar category to soft porn or other salacious etc material.

Unless such as one of the above things applied to the content, think it best not to act as censor or moral guardian and just to treat it as unspecified unauthorised / clearly non work -related content. But it's arguably different overall than someone merely looking briefly at their private email or buying something innocuous on eBay for their private domestic use, so maybe justifies action potentially involving formal disciplinary process - BUT , action based on breach of computer use rules.

Sorry - sounds a bit like sitting on fence, but without the precise facts, it's very hard to say, IMHO.

In reply to David:

Thank you David.

Yes, as you have said it is a borderline case. I agree that it is more of a breach of the computer use policy rather than 'inappropriate' content because it is difficult to determine the inappropriateness of political views, contrary to criminal or clearly harmful websites.

I am ending the thread because I have realised that I am unable to give more context into this issue..

But, thank you for your advice. It is really useful to hear your point of view.

In reply to Hasini :

If the said political site is not illegal, or supporting illegal views then I would only treat it as an abuse of your use in work time policy and unlikely to be more than a first warning for me.

In reply to Hasini :

Hi Hasini, agree with Keith.

I don't think this has to be border line case. More importantly, much more importantly, you have a word, formal or informal, it doesn't matter, with the employee concerned and ask them what they were up to. You don't need to get muddled up with what 'rule' they broke to speak to someone.

just as a slight aside but taking into account recent events, would there not be some kind need to check the content of the site and potentially report concerns?

In reply to Annette Gleeson:

Good point, Annette.