"Global competitiveness" is just plain bad news for us. Chinese workers make 3% of what Americans workers make. Are we supposed to compete with that? I'm sure many American employers would love to copy tactics such as not allowing bathroom breaks and not offering any health insurance, too.

The Internet is like the phone used to be. Most employers don't mind a few phone personal calls made from work.

As for security...you can allow employees access to the net without allowing access to personal e-mail. Filters work very well for that.

As for saving money by cutting back salaries...that's assuming they're actually paying overtime. The professionals likely to be using computers are on salary, and generally don't get overtime.

I recently read an analysis of European vs. American economies. Our economy grows faster...but a big reason for that is that American workers get less time off. Europeans get 6 weeks of vacation a year. They roll up the streets in August. And a 35 hour work week is standard. Yes, we're more competitive than Europe...but are we really better off?