Social networking sites cost UK economy up to £14bn pa

wymondham

This is a topic close to my heart being in IT. We recently compiled a document to managers of several companies we deal with as they seemed blind to the fact their staff were wasting so much time and money, as well as potentially causing data breeches and opening up their company systems to viruses using these sites.

Not one single manager responded, so I have to assume all these companies encourage social networking site use and are happy with the potential disasterous consequences. In reality, as ever they would have really chosen to ignore it as 'managers don't do IT' - news for them will come soon enough as these sites become targetted for access to systems (already starting).

Companies should NEVER allow social networking access on their company systems.

Cleaver

vivatifosi wrote: »

Yep for me too. I'm much more used to the scenario Cleaver described (welcome back btw)...

Thanks

vivatifosi wrote: »

I think the reason that I have scheduled breaks in the library service is that much of the time is public facing, therefore you need to make sure you've scheduled enough people to be at your service points. It is very strange to me. I'm used to doing jobs where you can turn up when you want, have lunch when you want, break when you want as long as you do the job and catch up in overtime. The key issue, as I said before, is not to take the p*ss.

You raise a good point about the work a team / company does dictating the way in which you work. Our team works mainly on non-customer facing projects, so we don't tend to get loads of phonecalls and hardly any visits. Therefore we can tend to just get up from our desks and it doesn't really cause an issue. If you are a customer facing team then obviously you need a bit of organisation around your breaks etc. to make sure you don't leave gaps.

We've just had someone join us from a public sector organisation where you had to account for every last minute and ask before going to the toilet. Seeing this person adapt to a our more casual, yet hopefully more hardworking, environment is quite funny and also pleasing to watch.

Cleaver

wymondham wrote: »

Companies should NEVER allow social networking access on their company systems.

Do you mean from a security point of view?

Because as I said above, most people have access to Facebook via their phones, so if they decide to access it during work hours does it really matter whether it's via their work PC or own device? Both result in lost time. And is using Facebook any less safe than just generally surfing sites on the net? I ask as a genuine question, I don't really know the answer.

I don't access Facebook at work because I don't morally think I should and with the current climate as it is I don't want to risk my employer having any reason to get rid of me. But at the end of the day there's about a million ways for me to be unproductive, so it's up to the employer to make sure I feel motived to work. Just arbitrarily banning stuff that you don't want your employees to do doesn't really work does it?

wymondham

Cleaver wrote: »

Do you mean from a security point of view?

Because as I said above, most people have access to Facebook via their phones, so if they decide to access it during work hours does it really matter whether it's via their work PC or own device? Both result in lost time. And is using Facebook any less safe than just generally surfing sites on the net? I ask as a genuine question, I don't really know the answer.

I don't access Facebook at work because I don't morally think I should and with the current climate as it is I don't want to risk my employer having any reason to get rid of me. But at the end of the day there's about a million ways for me to be unproductive, so it's up to the employer to make sure I feel motived to work. Just arbitrarily banning stuff that you don't want your employees to do doesn't really work does it?

Primarily yes. If your company was worried about this and/or productivity then you would not be able to access it through their systems.

Phone access is an intresting point as it equates to employees sitting there with PSP's or the like - I would imagine any employer would frown at this?

Graham_Devon

Cleaver wrote: »

Another cultural shift I've noticed is that there is far more of a blur between home and work life, but in a good way. All staff now have a smartphone device. It means that during work hours they have a device with potentially hundreds of apps they can use. Playing games, running an eBay business, trading shares, checking e-mail and Facebook, booking holidays etc. etc. can all be done at any point. And that's fine really, as long as you're not being excessive. But the flip side is that all my staff have Blackberry's for work which is really handy. There is a bit of an unwritten rule that we just leave them on all the time, which combats the problem Pastures mentions above about part time workers. As am example, I was working at 8pm last Tuesday night on a report my boss needed the next morning. I was able to send an e-mail to my administrator, who picked it up on her Blackberry and e-mailed me a document I needed. Probably took her 30 seconds, but I was very grateful. It's all about give and take really - book a holiday at 11.30am at work, but it's then nice if you're about to send me something I need at 8pm. And modern technology helps all this happen.

This is also the same for me. Only weekends are "out of bounds" as it were, and thats only because theres no one in the office.

Can log in to the office from home at any point I like, check e-mails in the evening, and respond to them if needbe.

We do have one problem with one person, who seems to have taken the "lax" rules to the extreme, and therefore her working hours have reduced. I guess you will always get one taking it too far, but overall, it's upped productivity.

If I'm found tinkering with the xbox, there isn't a problem. However, find me tinkering with the xbox when something work related needs doing, and they wouldn't be happy. It's plain common sense. I can't always be doing something, my whole job revolves around planning and processing, plus IT probs. I can't continually plan! I do my bit, and pass it on to the partners, who come back with problems or a go ahead. These people make 80k+ a year, and therefore are not at my beck and call....which means there are times I'm waiting on them. Lots of times infact.

Not all jobs are continuous factory line type jobs with a continuous incoming work stream. Therefore, 9-5 with an hour break doesn't always work.

I'm self employed at the place where everything seems set in stone, thankfully. Wouldn't be working there otherwise. Lot of whinging, !!!!!ing and general big brother stuff going on. The staff won't even help each other in a lot of cases. This way still works, but it's a very clinical existence working there. Hence why people are out of the door for as long as possible when their time comes round. If that means your co-worker picking up the tab of a problem, screw em, its your break and you'll lose ten mins of it if you hang around to help them.

What gets me is when they sit at their desk, so you ask them a question and they simply tell you they are on their break. Basically meaning they are not getting paid, therefore wont talk work. So you have to wait until they have finished their break and ask again. Phecks me off no end!!

Graham_Devon

Mozette wrote: »

Well if it's part of your job, but I was assuming this thread was referring to 'social' use. I have to use the internet as part of my job, but if you need to go on a 'dodgy' or potentially time wasting site then you have to go to a designated computer and your use is logged. And apparently facebook is banned - I don't use it anyway so I've never tried to at work.

I really don't think I could hack that. Probably been spoilt doign my own thing, but that sounds like being in detention at school again.

Cleaver

wymondham wrote: »

Phone access is an intresting point as it equates to employees sitting there with PSP's or the like - I would imagine any employer would frown at this?

My staff use their smartphones at work and I don't 'frown' at it. As my post states above, we have 'give and take' approach to it all. If someone sits there for 30 minutes checking their phone whilst chaos reigns around them then we'd have to have a chat. But if they have been solidly grafting at something very stressful, boring or taxing for hours on end then I don't see any issue with them taking a break and checking their eBay / shares / Facebook or anything else on their phone.

At the end of the day, staff are there to work, not p*ss about on their phones. But nowadays you can't just come to work and shut out your personal life completely, as modern technology means the lines between personal and work are blurred. The same goes for your home life nowadays, as Graham as pointed out. All our staff have Blackberry's and I expect them to be flexible about being contacted outside of work hours. Most are very happy with this trade-off.

Just as an example, one of my staff members cancelled a personal evening out on the same day and agreed to come and help out an evening event we were putting on a couple of months back. They gave up about 5 hours of their time without claiming it back or taking overtime, presumably because they have pride in their job, wanted to help out their team, enjoy their job and know that we'll be grateful and pay them back in lots of other ways. So will I kick up a fuss if that same staff member wants to spend 15 minutes of 'work time' on Facebook showing a colleague their holiday snaps? Of course not. It's all give and take.

PasturesNew

What's all this talk about people having the internet on their phones ... and smartdevices (no idea what they even are!!)

I have a brick as a mobile, it doesn't even have voicemail turned on. I get about one text a month and make/receive 1 call a month.

I've heard of internet on phones, but never seen it ... and as I don't know anybody, I guess I'll have to wait until I get into the civilised world again.

PasturesNew

Best job I ever did was about 12 years ago, annualised hours - and respect. They got more out of me, I got to feel free. And they paid well. Subsidised canteen too ....

It was great, until they got bought out.

Exeter ...oh how I miss thee.

Cleaver

PasturesNew wrote: »

What's all this talk about people having the internet on their phones ... and smartdevices (no idea what they even are!!)

I have a brick as a mobile, it doesn't even have voicemail turned on. I get about one text a month and make/receive 1 call a month.

I've heard of internet on phones, but never seen it ... and as I don't know anybody, I guess I'll have to wait until I get into the civilised world again.

There's seven of us in the office and we're quite a tight bunch so know a bit about each other. I know that all of us have a phone that connects to the internet and have apps, and pretty sure we're all on Facebook. 'Tis just the way of life for most youngsters that you can do anything related to your personal life through your phone I guess.

Take that away from most young people between the hours of 9-5 and I imagine most would be unhappy, start to get annoyed with a lack of understanding and would probably look for another job. Just my opinion, but I think employers who look to engage with youngsters entering the job market about how they can still have a social life during work hours but without taking the p*ss will reap benefits compared to a company who just ban everything and treat you like children. Organisations like Google, Innocent, IBM, Microsoft, Pixar, Red Bull etc. have all had papers written on their innovative and felxible methods with their staff and their companies still seem to get stuff done. That's the blueprint for the future, not 9-5 "you're hear to work and nothing else" mindset places. Obviously I'm not talking about industries like factories, retail, hospitality etc. where you can busy yourself 9-5 and then do nothing when you're at home.

This was just general waffling by the way Pastures, not directed at anything you said.