Slapping Facebook and Muting At Work Users

June 9, 2011

Have workplace bans on technology ever been effective? In “Half of UK Businesses Ban Social Media at Work,” The Next Women business magazine examines the issue.

A study of 2,500 UK businesses found that “48% ban their workers from posting updates on Twitter, Facebook and other social networking sites.” While employers may claim they are worried about protecting sensitive information or employees writing detrimental things about the company, “it’s the seamless integration between work and social media that is really concerning companies.”

How do you craft a policy that allows employees to use their smart phones for calls and e-mails but bans social networking? And who’s going to enforce it? This kind of negative management is never going to be considered a best practice.

Our view is that when 20 somethings join a “real” organization, the organization is going to have to work overtime to curtail what the 20 somethings perceive as normal behavior. Can organizations slap Facebook and mute its users at work? Good luck with that.

What happens if the hot new hire who cost a bonus, a new auto as an inducement, and a big salary takes a hike over a muting policy? Expensive for sure.

Stephen E Arnold, June 9, 2011

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