facebook in company?

[peteho]

Hi there.
I have a small business (7 employees) and i decided to block facebook on office computers. Facebook can be very distracting but I'm not sure whether to do it because of negative reactions of employees. What if it's worse than leaving facebook accessible!? Any advice is welcome.

[Steve B]

Unless Facebook can help your company make money I think it's O.K. to block it. What would be the basis of their negative reaction? Do they expect to be paid for wasting time? I guess they might want to visit FB during their lunch break or something, so maybe you can just make it a policy that they cannot visit non-productive sites during their working time.

[ben502]

if it is keeping them from getting their jobs done i would certainly block it. If they get mad, they get mad. they are there to work. i would bet there is not one of them there that can tell you a good reason that they need facebook up and running all day.

[vangogh]

Is there an actual problem with your employees not getting their work done? You say Facebook is distracting. Does that mean your employees aren't working because they're spending all their time on Facebook or does it mean you personally find it distracting?

Unless your employees aren't getting their work done because they're spending all day on Facebook you should do nothing.

Yes your employees are there to work, but you also have to realize people don't work every minute in an 8 hour day. Forcing them to be working every last second will only make them less productive overall. People need breaks and they need distractions at times. If there's truly a problem where everyone in the office is spending all day on Facebook then sit them all down and explain why it's not ok. If it's only one or two people then talk to those one or two people. If everyone is getting their work done then do nothing.

[KristineS]

I'm with Vangogh. If there's a problem, then address the problem with those individuals who are causing it. Blocking Facebook simply because you think it could potentially be distracting seems to me to be telling your employees that you don't trust them to get their work done.

We use Facebook as part of our company marketing strategy and several of our employees follow the company page. They'll check in on their lunch break or in the evening. Allowing them to do that has never caused a problem of which I am aware.

[Harold Mansfield]

I'm a lot more productive when I can take a distraction every now and then. I've sat in cubicles with nothing but the work in front of me and it was hell for 8 hours.
After lunch the only thing that I could ever think about was getting out of there and getting some kind of mental stimulation away from work.

My last office job, towards the end I was in a special department away from the main floor and we were a little more relaxed. Having that additional stimulation, whether it be some music, or longer lunches made the day go by faster and I also didn't mind coming in on weekends, staying longer, or putting in a little extra to get a project finished quickly.

I couldn't do all work, all day with no other stimulation. I actually move slower.

[vangogh]

I'm a lot more productive when I can take a distraction every now and then.

It's not just you. Study after study has shown it's how all of us are. We need the occasional break and distraction to keep us productive. Something like Facebook can certainly be abused at work, but I doubt that's what's happening here.

[Harold Mansfield]

This is why I always tout the benefits of multiple monitors. It's highly productive and lets you get that occasional distraction, or mental break while the work is still in front of you.

[ben502]

i read the comment as people were just sitting around on facebook not getting work done...this is why i say just block it. i also agree with the thought that as long as ALL the work is getting done in a timely fashion then no biggie.

i have worked in offices where people would just sit around and play games on their computers...so i deleted them. if they were just doing it on breaks then i would not hav cared, but doing it during work hours was a huge problem in my world.

[greenoak]

even if they were getting all their work done i wouldnt allow facebook, or watching cartoons, or playing brildge....its your time not theirs..... if you even have to remind them i would guess you have a problem....i believe in breaks and staying productive ... but im confused that this would even be part of the work day ..our workers would know that was unacceptable on store time......

[vangogh]

even if they were getting all their work done i wouldnt allow facebook

Why? If employees are getting their work done why does it matter if they do other things too? If I'm your employee and I do my job well and as a result I'm punished for it by having access to a website I like removed, why would I want to work hard and do my job well in the future. The lesson from your end is do a good job and be punished for it.

People have lives outside of work and sometimes our outside lives and work overlap. For everyone who thinks you should block Facebook, would you also not allow employees to bring their cell phones with them? Would you let them send a personal email on their lunch break?

If your employees are doing the work you pay them to do, don't try to micromanage them. It's not going to make them more productive. If anything it will make them less productive. If your employees aren't doing the work you pay them for then talk to them. If they continue not to do their jobs then replace them with someone else.

Blocking something like Facebook will accomplish nothing. The few people who might be spending too much time on Facebook as opposed to work will find something else to spend their time doing that isn't work. The problem is the employee, not that they have access to a specific site.

[greenoak]

but why would i want you to play on my time?...and who says you got all your work done..working here isnt a rote thing with a certain amount of pieces to produce...its a full days work.....here we never get everything done....if the main jobs are done then there are lots of minor little jobs...i dont think if you had employees you would want them deciding how much time to play on your time....
my workers look down on workers who cheat on the owners time...thats what they call it and what they tell me anyway.......i wonder how many places would encourage this? if a place had so much free time that the workforce can play games on the web then they probably would be cutting workers....
who would hire someone who demanded facebook time at work?


i dont micro manage....but i do expect them to work the whole time im paying them....and breaks are fine..and i dont care what they do at lunch..... but for here its no phones or facebook during work time.... ...
i hope im not the only one on here with employees who feels this way....it seems very wierd.... there are so many easy ways to look at a job and when its finisshed... i just wouldnt want to go there or tempt them to go there..........i wouldnt have to block...we work on trust...

[Spider]

I'm with you, Ann - but I don't have employees now. When I had employees there were was no Facebook and no cellphones. Besides, working on a construction site needs both hands and full mental attention. Such distractions were never part of the working scene, neither on site nor in the office. With one exception. Once every few years the Test Match (international cricket) reached a pitch and portable radios could be heard with sports commentary. But listening to the radio still left one's brain and both hands free. I would certainly not have allowed television coverage, were it available, and at no other time did the matter arise.

It seems to me that Facebook is taking too much attention away from the job at hand. Music radio would be acceptable as long as it wasn't loud and didn't disturb anyone else, but frequent private telephone calls, FB, Twitter, and other websurfing would not be accepted in my office today, unless it was directly related to the person's work.

I wouldn't expect them to attend to a customer after hours and I wouldn't expect them to attend to their friends during working hours.

[Harold Mansfield]

I think it's your call. If you supply the computers and it's your company, you set your network to do what ever you feel is appropriate.
There isn't really a right or wrong answer. Blocking certain pages could be justified as a security or productivity issue, but as the boss you really don't need to justify how you run your equipment to the employees.

I do many things throughout the day, but I don't work for anyone. It's my computer. I pay all of the bills.
When someone else is paying the bills and providing all of the equipment , you follow the rules that they see fit.

[vangogh]

but why would i want you to play on my time?

A quick check of Facebook is hardly playing. When I get up from my desk to go to the bathroom I'm not doing work and it's on company time. Is that bad too? How about in the morning when I make myself a cup of coffee or when I go back for another cup later in the day?

My point is if you pay a person to do a job and the person is doing that job to your satisfaction why do you really care what else they do. If someone isn't getting their work done that's another story. In that case then of course you should do something. This question in this thread wasn't about employees not doing their job. There's nothing to indicate that's the case in the original post. If employees are doing their job and happen to spend 15 minutes during the day checking Facebook what's the problem.

And for those people who are wasting all day on Facebook and not getting work done, blocking Facebook isn't going to solve the problem. Those people will find something else to waste their time. The problem is the person, not Facebook.


It seems to me that Facebook is taking too much attention away from the job at hand

Really? Have proof? Is it just Facebook or is it Twitter too? LinkedIn maybe? There are thousands of things employees can distract themselves with during the workday. Why put it all on Facebook?

Facebook isn't the problem. If there is a problem it's with specific employees not doing their job. Deal with those employees and move on.

[greenoak]

it doesnt sound like you have faced all the problems this would cause..who decides if the work is done who sets the policy....i can see so many minuses on this idea...its fine for you you are your own boss ... .
....you might not call it playing but how could you call it working? ....i guess i would s ay if they were on the phone or on facebook or any other web thing unerelated to their job they wouldnt be doing their job to my satisfaction......and probably a lot of other bosses would feel the same way...going to the bathroom is fine as is getting some coffee.... at some jobs thats not ok...at some jobs missing work for a sick kid isnt ok....
...i wonder if accepting this is catching on in businesses across the country...seems like it would be lowering the bar in any work place...
.our w orkers arent in cubicles.. but i have had some bad service and inattention from folks in cubicles on the phone who were representing companies.... maybe they were mad at being interupted by pesky customers from playing their angry birds....

[vangogh]

Please don't tell me what I have and haven't faced. I've both been an employee and a manager of employees and I've always been able to get the most of the employees I've managed.

No one here has yet to offer any reason why it's a problem if an employee checks Facebook assuming they're also getting their work done. What are the minuses?


i guess i would s ay if they were on the phone or on facebook or any other web thing unerelated to their job they wouldnt be doing their job to my satisfaction

So if an employee spends a 10 minute break calling to make a doctors appointment for the weekend that somehow makes their work unsatisfactory.

People do things unrelated to work while at work all the time. In fact I'd bet there's few if any who spend every second working on even a single work day. I'll even bet you've never made it through a single day of running your business where every second was spent on something work related.

People aren't machines. None of us works at peak performance for 8 hours straight. We all perform better when we're able to take a few minutes every so often to clear our heads. Study and study after study has shown this to be true.

Everyone here who's saying to block Facebook seems to be assuming that it automatically means an employee who checks Facebook isn't getting their work done. That's hardly true. Most people probably couldn't even tell the difference in how much an employee gets done on a day they check Facebook compared to one they didn't

There are certainly going to be some employees who spend all day on Facebook and don't do a good job. However when that happens the issue isn't Facebook. It's that employee. If you block Facebook that person will find something else to waste their time on. The problem is the employee so deal with the employee.


you might not call it playing but how could you call it working?

I never said it was working, though again I'll say that when people periodically take a break to clear their minds it makes them more productive. So while it may not be working at that moment it can improve how much work the person gets done that day.

If you could choose between 2 employees, one who can produce 10 widgets a day, but takes 2 hours of break time during that day and one who produces 5 widgets a day working every second of 8 hours, which employee would you choose?

[Patrysha]

I can see Ann's point from the view of a retail atmosphere, breaktime is typically separated from non-breaktime by going "off the floor"...computers with net access aren't typically available to employees and they shouldn't be allowed to bring their cellphones to the floor unless it's part of an assigned task.

I know at the restaurant I work at part time, cell phones are not allowed on shift except management...everyone else checks their phones at breaktime...

As for the blocking Facebook in an office type environment...people will likely put up with it now without too much external grumbling because of the job markets...but personally, I wouldn't want to work for an employer who blocks things like FB and YouTube, not because I like those things so much that I can't live without them for 8 hours...but because it says "I don't trust your judgement or professionalism"

[vangogh]

In a retail environment this shouldn't be an issue since there shouldn't be computers all over the store for people to use. However this thread wasn't specifically about retail. I don't think the OP mentioned the specific work environment, but I would guess it's an office environment given the issue.

As an employer I would think it should be more important whether or not your employees are doing a good job than worrying about micromanaging every second of their day. When you do the latter you tend to have unhappy employees who don't work very hard and like you said it sends a message that you don't trust your employees' judgement or professionalism.

This Facebook argument is so old. Today it's Facebook. Yesterday it was email. Before that it was the phone. People simply don't work every second of an 8 hour day no matter how much you think you can get them to. People need a certain amount of distraction during the day to be productive. We all need periodic breaks to clear our mind or rest our bodies. Someone might do that by checking their Facebook page and leaving a quick post. Another person might get up to stretch their legs and walk around the office. A third person makes a cup of coffee and stops off to chat with a fourth employee.

You're never going to stop those things from happening so stop worrying about. You can block Facebook and watch as your employees start spending more time at Twitter. Block Twitter and they'll move to YouTube.

FaceBook isn't the cause of the problem here. Blocking it will solve nothing, but will likely create new problems.

[greenoak]

so you think you should be able to use your phone however you see fit on a job?..if you think you have your work done...? i can hardly believe that would be tolerated at most businesses............the phone is the path to everything...web, email, facebook, twitter, linked in, games..... not just facebook....
we have women here at our store so we have plenty of kid and family phone calls.... thats totally allowed..its thru the store phone tho...
sounds like we are in different worlds......
our schools let the kids have phones in class so maybe im all wrong on this...i can still run my store without allowing this....to me its just bad for the business, and would open up all kinds of problems......

[Patrysha]

Who said anything about allowing phones on work time. I am sure I specified that's a break only thing...And your damn right I expect to be able to use a phone as I see fit...I'm an adult and I act like it and expect to be treated as one.

Even if the restaurant did not have a rule against it, I would never dream of using a phone on shift (unless it was to say take a pic of a fabulous desert that just came out fresh from the kitchen and adding it to the FB page). Same would apply if I worked retail. But if I went back to radio...I'd be using the phone quite a bit...to do my job. Not to check FB unless it was to contact a client or do local event research maybe. It's all about what is appropriate and what the purpose is.

It only opens things to problems if the staff have issues with being adult about things in the first place.

[vangogh]

so you think you should be able to use your phone however you see fit on a job?

No. I never said anything close to that. What I suggested is there are times when employees need to make calls that can only be made at a time when they're working. That doesn't mean you can use a phone however you see fit on the job. It simply means there are going to be times when you might have to use it at work. Maybe it's once a year. Maybe it's once a month. You seemed to be suggesting if you saw an employee on the phone even once you would consider that person an unsatisfactory employee.

All I'm trying to say in this thread is that you shouldn't jump to conclusions. The original post is from someone who said he blocked Facebook on office computer. There's not even a mention that anyone was actually using Facebook on office computers. Maybe they were, but it's not said. All we know is someone thinks it's distracting so it's now blocked.

Given all we know I think that's an overreaction. Let's assume people at the office do check FaceBook. That alone doesn't mean there's a problem. It's quite possible one or two people check the site for a total of 10 minutes in a workday. If those people are still doing a good job why should it matter if they check Facebook? Maybe a quick check helps them clear their mind and helps them be more productive during the rest of the day.

Let's say there's one person in the office who does spend several hours a day on FaceBook. Clearly there's a problem with that employee. However I'd argue that the problem is the employee and not Facebook. If you block Facebook that employee is still going to find something to waste time. So what's the point in blocking Facebook.

Blocking Facebook isn't going to make anyone in the office work more or better. People find distractions because at times they need distractions. Block one distraction and they'll find another. It doesn't necessarily make any of them bad employees. Accept that no one spends every second of the work day working. Most people are working most of the time, but everyone is doing something other than work here and there.

If you block Facebook all you do is send a message to employees that you don't trust them. You're assuming the worst in them. If anything it will have the opposite effect of what you want. So why block it? It's not a solution to anything and it potentially causes more problems.

[greenoak]

thanks for the overview vg..i think you are seeing getting on facebook on the computer and im seeing it as getting on facebook on the phone...same problem different machine is how i look at it....
.i never said my workers couldnt do emergency or dr or kid calls on the phone, theirs or mine...... big factories do that not me....my workers come tell me i have to make this call...thats pretty easy....and a no brainer...
and im not t alking about the original post....but i wish you would look at my phone policy point...i hate to look mean about it, to see my point imagine you are in charge of 20 workers and the policy is you can use your phones at your discretion and its known that facebook or other fun stuff is allowed if you are done with your work ...now your 20 workers have all kinds of interpertation and logic about whats ok and what isnt...and 20 people deciding if they can take a twitter break or whatever...and you as the boss have another big job on your plate seeing how this is working out......and you might have worker unrest too , if one is abusing and the others see it......
and its opening the door to playing at work...outside of break time.... i see all that as problems and minuses...
.....as popular as facebook is i think the same problem would face whoever was overseeing the computer workers.....
i assumed the original poster had some reason to think facebook was being used on his time..... from this thread i guess there would be workers would feel threatened and think they should be able to use it....i would get rid of anyone who thought like that....it would be opening a big door i wouldnt want opened........
maybe all this shows that if you h ave been your own boss for very long you shouldnt try and work for anyone else!!! we are used to using our judgement and our rules and would be hard to force us into someone elses rules or view of the world........especially if we didnt agree..... if patrysha demanded to a potential boss ..no way will i give up my phone, im an adult etc etc... i would guess she would be out the door .
right or wrong we are the boss of our thng...

[Spider]

I find it very interesting when places like Google and probably Apple, and other "innovation-based" enterprises have game rooms, ping-pong tables and colorful lounge areas that are freely used whenever an employee feels like it. The company clearly finds a benefit in having their employees free to 'loaf' about as much as they want.

There are some situations where this makes sense. But in the real world of today - comprising of 19th century factories and 20th century offices - this cannot be the norm. While there are some individuals, and indeed some professions, with which this can be extremely productive, the majority of work situations do not lend themselves to such freedom. Even when individuals act responsibly, and only use the lounging facilities sparingly (whether that is an in-house coffee bar, Facebook or a quick War of the Worlds session to clear one's brain) today's work environment is highly cooperative and while one person is taking a responsible break, another is unable to work efficiently because they need that person's presence. Not everyone works entirely alone in larger corporations.

We don't hear much these days about flex-time - maybe because that has become so common it is not worth mentioning anymore. But flex-time would allow people to operate effectively and still be able to do their own stuff in their own time even in the middle of the day.

It's an interesting debate. Wouldn't it be wonderful if all employees acted responsibly and didn't take advantage of such perks. When we can be certain that all employees have a work ethic to be proud of, then we might be able to relax the rules. Until that happens, I think it benefits the company, the managers, the owners and, indeed, the employees, that employees have clear and unambiguous guidelines of the conduct they are being paid for.

[KristineS]

Who said anything about allowing phones on work time. I am sure I specified that's a break only thing...And your damn right I expect to be able to use a phone as I see fit...I'm an adult and I act like it and expect to be treated as one.

Even if the restaurant did not have a rule against it, I would never dream of using a phone on shift (unless it was to say take a pic of a fabulous desert that just came out fresh from the kitchen and adding it to the FB page). Same would apply if I worked retail. But if I went back to radio...I'd be using the phone quite a bit...to do my job. Not to check FB unless it was to contact a client or do local event research maybe. It's all about what is appropriate and what the purpose is.

It only opens things to problems if the staff have issues with being adult about things in the first place.

Amen, Patrysha. I'm an adult and I know what's appropriate and what isn't appropriate. I've always been loyal and gone above and beyond for every boss I've had. The surest way to sap my motivation and optimism is to treat me like I can't be responsible for myself and my behavior.

I also think there's too much babysitting of employees now days. Make sure they show up, make sure they're not making too many phone calls, doing their work etc. I'm not about that. I'll provide clear guidelines, education if you're having issues with a portion of your job and lots of support and guidance, but I won't babysit. I want to work with adults, not people who need watching.

[Patrysha]

maybe all this shows that if you h ave been your own boss for very long you shouldnt try and work for anyone else!!!

Hardly true at all...entrepreneurs can be great employees in the right circumstances...you just have to look for an employer who respects you. I've got that with my part time job and it's been a very successful experience for both myself and my employer.


if patrysha demanded to a potential boss ..no way will i give up my phone, im an adult etc etc... i would guess she would be out the door .
right or wrong we are the boss of our thng...

It's rather rude to assume I would be demanding in any situation. I have never been such a brat and find it highly offensive that the words suggest I would act like a two year old to keep a phone in an environment where it is neither appropriate or necessary to have it. Especially considering that I actually work in an environment where there are specific rules about cell phone use that I am perfectly capable and willing to abide by.

[greenoak]

the discussion i was on with vg was about using facebook[on computer or phone] at your own discrection if your work was all done..and how that would fit into most workplaces.... my point was that most places would be like where you work and it wouldnt be allowed....i was pretty sure you wouldnt demand using your phone whenever you see fit from your boss even tho you said that..... im with you on any phone or game things on break time.... thats how we look at it too...

lots of the business owners i know, me included , would not want to work for anyone else..a recurring joke with a lot of our business friends is that a few years on your own makes you unfit for employment.....

[tylerhutchinson]

I think it depends on a few things. I think that if it lowers moral in the office because they cannot access it on their computers during their breaks that may cause a problem. If they do not seem bothered or they understand then go for it. I think instead of blocking it you should send an email or let it be known they should NOT be on it during work hours and to only do it during non-work hours. Then if you catch someone on it you can discipline as needed up to blocking for repeat offenders. No reason in creating an issue if there is not one.