Australian-based Exinda Networks is betting that employers will want to beat their employees off with a stick. They have developed a bandwidth monitoring system so that employers can charge their employees for personal internet use.

Exinda Networks claims to have developed a unique system that allows a company to monitor exactly which Web sites are visited by each individual employee and how much bandwidth has been used -- in terms of a cash loss to the employer.

Con Nikolouzakis, director of Exinda Networks, said the URL and bandwidth monitoring system was designed to ensure employees can be held responsible for the cost of misused bandwidth and time.

"If you use your office computer for internet banking and booking theatre tickets, you're fine. If you choose to use it to download illegal software, research personal interests or other non-business uses then you could be issued with a 'please explain' and a bill for the costs of the bandwidth and time you wasted," said Nikolouzakis.

Now, bandwidth is relatively cheap. There is a definite cost for cyber-slacking, but how much of a price would companies pay in employee morale when implementing a system like this. Not only is it alienating, it's likely to guarantee that most personal web use will be at sites like Monster and Hot Jobs.