Facebook: Disruption in the workplace

Facebook is the lumbering new enemy in the workplace, easily beating the previous bigshot known as 'Extended Smoking/Tea Breaks'. Studies show employers believe Facebook in the workplace negatively affects productivity. And then there are the employees who think Facebook is a good stress relief program for moments when the workplace feels like a gladiator ring. So who's right?

The proponents of Facebook state it can improve workplace productivity by meeting employees' social needs; stress is lowered. Consider it a coffee break hangout without the physical movement. But checking status updates and the likes received (or not) could also become an addiction. Studies have shown that people easily distracted by Facebook checking can cost as much as 2 hours of work per day. Where does the balance come in?

Facebook means status updates. That in turn can lead to office gossip, opinions that are not considered favorable. In a recent survey by a firm called Kelly Services, 73 percent stated that sharing opinions about work on these channels is inappropriate, and over half of those surveyed (55 percent) feel that mixing personal and professional connections could cause problems in the workplace. These findings were based on almost 170,000 people in 30 countries.

Some employers consider a Facebook ban to be the only solution. That doesn't work anymore. Smartphones give access to social media more easily than a desktop PC does. Instant notification, different glowing colours to tell you which messenger was uploaded a recent image of someone's breakfast. And it's more discreet. Ban smartphones? Might as well bring in the whips. A happy employee is a productive employee, and banning things they consider a necessity might be counterproductive.

It's argued that FB games waste countless hours of productivity. People are busy building virtual farms instead of focusing on portfolio building of their firms. Some employers allowing unlimited access to social media sites often have IT systems that monitor employees' usage. These systems can cut back when it detects too much work disruption. It's understood that Facebook is equally a brilliant marketing tool as it is a brilliant slouching tool. It can be one of the greatest assets for any firm to gain more recognition outside the traditional medium. Abir Hossain, who works for an ad agency, believes their work recieves more positive exposure when the employees keep posting their own activities and progress via social media.

"We need to dispel the myth that social media is for leisure time only," said Andrew Cook, general manager for UK and Ireland at Kelly Services. "Used well, it can be an essential communication tool for your existing workforce to engage with customers and be vital in finding and attracting new talent to your business."

The trick is establishing strong work culture. It's more effective than imposing regulatory measures. Social media cannot and shouldn't be restricted. At the end of the day, if the employee can manage both work and Facebooking at the same time, then there really isn't any point in taking their freedom away, is there?