According to a recent newspoll survey commissioned by Symantec in Australia, 73 per cent of Australian workers access social networking sites at work.
it is not a complete solution to ban and block the use of social media at work as employees are able to readily access these sites via portable devices such as smartphones. What can organizations do is to allow employees to access social networking sites but also restrict to use these sites.
Ganin, K 2011 (from Government News), where had some recommendations for those organizations considering the restriction of social media sites:
- Prohibit access doesn’t make sense because people will find ways to get around the unreasonable usage but it has to be for a genuine social purpose and within reasonable limits
- All employers must have HR policies dealing with misuse of the social network, particularly when it arises in the harassment, discrimination or bullying areas
- Must cover the misuse of the network to release an agency’s (employer’s) confidential information or material which could cause reputational damage to the employers
- Restrict time access to the site, for example during lunch break, and out of office hours.
- Consider having one or two PCs in a public area, for example a kitchen or café area, where employees can check Facebook. It is much easier to monitor employees who spend all day away from their desk!
- Restrict tabbed browsing so employees cannot stay logged in to the site all day.
- Monitor time employees spend on Facebook.
- Make it clear to employees that they are not to use corporate bandwidth by downloading Facebook applications on work networks.
What do you think of these recommendations? Or, you still think that organizations must block the social networking sites at work?
Ganin, K 2011, 'THE DANGERS OF GETTING SOCIAL AT WORK', Government News, 31, 1, pp. 38-39.
