A coworker came across this story today and it got me thinking on the recent flap surrounding use of Facebook and other social networks at the office. Obviously, an employer looking to maintain employee productivity (in however misguided a manner) by restricting access to certain websites is nowhere near the level of intrusion that the Chinese Communist government is reaching…and yet I can’t help but consider them both as part of the overall Nanny Mentality.
The Chinese government sends “cartoon (thought) police” onto computer screens, warning the user that they may be viewing something illegal. Whereas in a near majority of companies in countries all over the globe, there is no warning, just an outright block on sites that employers fear will cut into productivity.
Trust me, I am not entirely discounting the idea of promoting productivity and high quality performance; no one should be spending the majority of time at work just goofing off. And I know that there’s an economic factor at play here as well when it comes to businesses losing money on account of employee shenanigans. But doesn’t there come a time when personal responsibility must be considered? If an employee is irresponsible, and goofing off so much on Facebook and the like that they cannot accomplish their daily tasks….banning Facebook from their computer probably isn’t going to make them a better employee. They’ll probably just abuse other procrastinatory tools instead. Minesweeper, anyone? Instant messenger? Email? A bad employee is just that—attempting to wrist-slap them out of a poor performance by nannying them into submission is a waste of everyone’s time.
As usual, other bloggers have already made this argument far more eloquently than I could hope to, and I’ve collected some of their thoughts.
Darryl Ohrt at Brand Flakes for Breakfast is offended by the idea of an employer/babysitter:
Always great to know that your employer trusts you. And that your employer needs to babysit you, to ensure your productivity. If only they could stand over your shoulder all day, everyday just to be sure that you're not wasting a single minute out of your super fun productive day.
Darryl makes a good point here; I think we subscribe to the same mentality. Employees are either going to get their job done or not. A good manager can keep them motivated, inspire them to do better, offer incentives…but at the end of the day a slacker will always show his stripes (and should be dealt with accordingly).
Shel Holtz reacted to an article showing that two-thirds of London employers are also blocking access to Facebook, noting that London has nearly 1 million Facebook subscribers among its population. He takes a more logical approach, pointing out a number of arguments (notably that Facebook can provide valuable networking and marketing opportunities that employers are missing out on by blocking access) against restricting access, but settling on the idea that if the work is still getting done, what’s the harm in visiting non-work websites?
One of my big questions in these decisions to block social networks, blogs, and other sites is whether time is, in fact, being wasted. The measure of productivity, particularly in knowledge jobs, is whether work is getting done, whether it’s getting done on time, and whether the quality of the work meets or exceeds the employer’s expectations. If I spend 20 minutes on Facebook at work, then spend an hour doing work in my living room in the evening or stay an hour late at work, the net result is still the same. (We won’t get into the effect of lack of management trust in employees on levels of employee engagement.)
For good measure, Shel’s podcasting partner Neville Hobson also chimes in, noting that several reports claiming to measure the dollar amounts of lost productivity due to social networking “stretches credulity.”
All this hand-wringing over wasting time online at work smacks to me of further corporate resistance to the new media revolution. Employers are unwilling to acknowledge that the way we do business, even outside the specific field of communications or public relations, will be forever changed by the influence of technology. Cutting off access to that technology will solve nothing. Why not embrace it? Encourage it? Or, as Neville goes on to recommend in another post, provide guidance on how to use sites like Facebook wisely.
Solid social networking guidelines are a far better solution than outright bans. It’s time for employers to get with the program.
CustomScoop sponsored an early morning (well, for this girl anyway) breakfast for Boston-area social media enthusiasts this morning, and I’m pleased to report the event was a runaway success! 
