Date: Monday, November 12, 2007
Unions demand clear social networking at work guidelines
Unions have demanded clearer Internet usage guidelines as companies take action against Facebook timewasters. A Guardian survey of 65 institutions found that 1,700 employees had been disciplined or even sacked for misusing the Internet or email in the last three years. Those surveyed included the Ministry of Justice (MOJ) who admitted sacking 30 members of staff and the Department for Work and Pensions who reprimanded 313 staff members for misusing the Internet. These figures clearly indicate how harshly companies are treating workers who waste time on the web, particularly those who regularly spend their working hours on social networking sites such as Myspace and Facebook.
With over 5 million regular users in Britain alone, Facebook is something of a phenomenon. Recent reports estimate that British users spend an average of 143 minutes a month on the site, which adds up to around £130 million pounds a day in lost productivity. This figure suggests that companies may be doing the right thing in dismissing workers who spend an excessive amount of time on the site. However, unions are defending their members by claiming that the popularity of these sites are growing at such a rapid speed, proper guidelines should be set for their use. A TUC union spokesperson said: “Social networking at work is a recent problem and it’s growing at a phenomenal rate. But employers are not setting a standard as to what level of Internet use is acceptable.”
The rise in social networking at work is blamed on the punishing hours that many Britons spend in the office. Cary Cooper, a professor in organisational psychology and health, believes that many workers are forced to organise their social lives during working hours. He said: “Britain has the longest working hours in the developed world. Employers have created this culture. It is natural for people to have to use work computers for organising their personal life.”
Other aspects of Internet usage that are seen as punishable offences in the workplace include excessive use of email or the Internet for personal use, attempting to view prohibited material such as porn and forwarding offensive emails or links.
Sources:
Guardian
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