While Facebook generates less than a billion a year in revenue, it’s impressive just how much use of the service costs employers each year. One company has calculated that use of social networking sites in general (of which Facebook makes up the vast majority of usage) cost employers upwards of $2.25 billion each year in lost employee productivity. It’s forcing many companies to question whether or not to ban the site all together.
Considering that there are over 350 million active users on the site it’s likely that the cost could be far greater if even a fraction of Facebook users are employed. With the number of Facebook users increasing by the minute, one has to wonder if it makes sense to ban usage within the workplace. Having an active social life is somewhat important for one’s psychological well being, however there is a valid argument for banning usage in the work place.
In contrast to Google which can be used for both entertainment purposes as well as productivity purposes, it’s difficult to argue the need for Facebook in the workplace. Then again a sales associate or other business development employee would probably find it useful to connect with people on Facebook during the sales process. Public relations and media people may also find it useful to network on Facebook for pitching or writing stories.
There’s an obvious argument against Facebook use though. Facebook can rapidly become a time suck as networking with professional contacts quickly spins out of control and you end up checking out someone you are currently infatuated with and purchasing crops for your FarmVille farm. While you may try to argue to your boss that Facebook helps you get more accomplished, there’s practically no Facebook user that can say they’ve never lost focus while browsing the site.
Do you think Facebook should be banned in the workplace?
I see the argument both ways. Perhaps admins should start by blocking the domains of popular timesuck apps: *.zynga.com, *.playfish.com, *.farmville.com, *.playdom.com, etc… then watch their stats for other offenders. It would also make sense to block ad networks: .*rockyou.com, *.offerpal.com, etc. most of those use iframe calls.
If it gets out of hand, block Facebook for all non-management employees, then monitor usage among management to see what they are doing on FB. If business… ok, if not… ban em.
Of course, with the world of BlackBerry and iPhones in every other person’s pocket, there will still be many employees who find their way online through mobile.
Honestly… yes. I get caught being on it all the time, lol. I work in IT, and have my own OU so group policies wouldnt even help me. lol..smdh
I always think estimates like that are bunk. I work in an office where Facebook and complete Internet use is allowed, and not one of us misses a beat on our jobs. (Yes, call me that ONE Facebook user who says she’s never lost focus browsing the site. Really, did you ask EVERYONE to make such a blanket statement?) The fact is, if someone is floundering at work because of Facebook usage, they would flounder with hidden magazines, etc. Before the Internet, it was comical the things people would come up with the avoid work and amuse themselves. I worked with a slacker fifteen years ago who’d spend HOURS doing one of two things–staring at marketing mailing lists on her computer, name, after name, after name, or playing solitaire on Windows. I knew someone who’d stare at the newspaper for hours, her feet up on her desk in front of her (seriously.) Don’t blame Facebook for slacking behavior.
Its happening already.
I genuinely think banning FB is a bad descision (and i wrote about it here : http://www.talentbrew.com/home/2009/8/28/why-banning-facebook-from-the-office-is-both-doomed-and-a-ba.html)
No. I believe that Facebook, and all Social Media for that matter are an important part of being connected that organizations need to value more. We do need to learn to use it though, and have it become a resource not a time-sucker. I would gear efforts toward education, group reflection on the use or abuse of the SM sites and generate community use within the companies…that will keep things in check as we all see how others use it. Will that person still tend to farmville on company time if his colleagues are watching? Will she use LinkedIn more for professional purposes if she finds Questions related to her expertise are posted by in-company connections?
In my experience, the best option is always a constructive option. Is better to allow everybody to access every where, but control the amount of time used for personal things.
Some people realize if they are spending too much time in places like facebook, but most not.
In my company we are using a product called workmeter, and since they implemented the product, the firewall is open to visit everything, but we all have more conscience of the amount of time that we spend in non productive tasks. So my option is don’t ban personal places, but put a mechanism to measure it.
If it’s not Facebook, it’s something else. Companies can only estimate productivity lost to Facebook because they can track website usage. How about the number of dollars lost talking in the bathroom with colleagues or returning 5 minutes late from lunch? Are you going to monitor and punish employees for that too? The only reason Facebook is such a “time suck” is because it incorporates so many different elements of what entertains us. Connection with family/friends, games, communication, news and so on.
Understandably, companies are concerned about the bottom line but where do we draw the line on balance between profit and quality of life while at work? The human mind was never meant to sit in a chair staring at a computer for 8 hours a day and only working on one task. Anyone who believes that blocking Facebook is going to fix productivity problems is just using it as a scapegoat.
With the way and amount of time users spend ‘playing’ those addictive games, i think they should. Though it hurts people like me a lot
Sure, ban that. Ban web surfing, ban coffee breaks, ban smoke breaks, ban chit chat among colleagues about their weekend plans. Go nuts.
It’s unrealistic to expect workers to be 100% productive 100% of the day. The only question employers should concern themselves with is “Is the work getting done?” If people aren’t doing their job, lose ‘em. If they are performing well, who cares if they spend part of the day web surfing, chatting with cubemates, smoking, going out for coffee, etc.
We can’t watch everything, or everyone in the workplace. This is not big brother. Banning facebook in the workplace is not going to change a person who maybe a slacker. Some people know how to separate work from play while others don’t. We should not punish all because of a few. Playing devils advocate I can say that businesses should ban facebook and all networking sites during working hours. Will this really work? Probably not because if your looking to find a way to relieve the pressures of life believe me you will.
Well Facebook has some business purposes too. but certainly one can make an argument for monitoring and potentially control of some sort.
It is not in an organization’s own best interest to block access. There’s plenty to support this notion at http://www.stopblocking.org.
Before you take any drastic actions, you should probably check to see if the employees surfing Facebook are the same ones that talk highly about your company out of work, on the web, and work on weekends. Younger employees tend to appreciate a flexible workplace and realize the if they’re allowed to surf the web sometimes, it means working off-hours, too. They are also the most open and trusting and may be a surprisingly influential part of your business and brand.
If you ban them, you may look old and out of touch.
Actually, this article seems like it was written by someone much older.
If they ban Facebook, how can they maintain their company Facebook fan pages, which I thought were proven to help companies?
If people can’t do their job, fire them. Banning an internet site doesn’t solve anything.
At the end of the day, the proof is in the pudding. If an individual’s job performance (therefore the employer) is suffering because they’re spending too much time on the Internet, demote or fire them or deny them raises. If their performance is up to par or better, who cares whether they’re on Facebook or Linked In or Ning or whatever? But all employees should understand the implications of what their time on the Internet can mean to their productivity and, more importantly, to the cost of doing business. Every employee has an obligation to put social media in perspective and to use the many forms wisely.
Why is it that with us humans it has to always be a case of EITHER - OR?? Why can’t we compromise, and allow the IT department to open Facebook access an hour before work, during lunch, and an hour after work?
My museum recently did something radical and allowed some of us access, and it has been a great success for the planetarium I manage! http://www.facebook.com/ThinktankPlanet
I have a different view point. I think the statistics provided here are misleading. We (employees) are here (office) to accomplish taks, triggered by external our internal exigencies. Its a personal choice how a person executes this/these task. I person habituated by procastination will behave the same, facebook or no facebook and the reverse is also true. So any statistics for or against facebook (or anyother social networking site) are misleading.
The truth is that I use Facebook during my work scheduler. So if my boss would ban it I would have nothing to say.
More than that, I read that 54% of companies ban social networks at work: http://blog.cyclope-series.com/2009/10/study-54-of-companies-ban-social-networks-at-work/