Most modern companies have a complete or partial ban on social networks for employees: sites with them are blocked, they limit the time of using the Internet, and the speed of their connection to the network is reduced. All this is designed to increase the productivity of employees and not let them be distracted from their immediate responsibilities.
Social media is becoming a real problem for employers, because employees can devote too much of their time to them. And not all managers are ready to put up with this situation, and even more so, pay for the time spent by such an employee on the Internet. However, social media in the workplace does not always have only negative sides.
Pros of banning social media
Not every employee can organize their activities in such a way so as not to be distracted by trifles. And if he has a great temptation in the form of social networks, he can completely forget about work and responsibilities, spending most of his working day in chats and topics. This is especially true for those companies that do not monitor their employees, do not block entertainment sites and do not particularly strictly ask employees about the results of their work. Discipline in such institutions suffers as well as productivity, so it needs to be established at all levels, from the manager to the subordinates.
In addition to reducing performance and concentration, social networks take up a lot of time. This means that their ban allows the employee to devote these hours to work issues. Together with this, many problems are immediately solved with the timely delivery of reports and plans, the lack of overtime and rush jobs. Employees themselves are grateful for the elimination of social media and the ability to work quietly, without checking for new messages every minute and trying to focus.
Cons of banning social media
However, not everything is so rosy after such a restriction. Employees react badly to attempts by their superiors to limit their freedom and load tasks every minute of the work schedule. This means that the motivation of people, their loyalty and desire to devote all their efforts to work for the company decreases. In addition, many foreign researchers believe that some time spent in communication with friends on a social network can perfectly distract employees, give the brain the necessary rest and recharge, and therefore, as a result, increase productivity and prevent a person from overwork. Workers who take advantage of these short breaks during the day are able to work more actively and productively.
In addition, when work is aimed at a specific result, it does not matter how much time a person spends on the Internet, if he copes with his work. It has been noticed that those who actively use social networks are able to spend less time on work and manage to get it done on time in a shorter period of time. Such people are simply irreplaceable during rush jobs, when maximum concentration is required and you need to complete the work in the shortest possible time. By prohibiting employees from using social networks, which means learning such useful skills, the manager deprives them and the company of many advantages.
Moreover, blocking websites will not help a manager completely deprive workers of their entertainment: you can also access social networks through proxy servers. And even when the company is constantly figuring out new ways to circumvent the ban, fining employees for the time spent on the Internet, people will find a way not to do work when they don't feel like doing it. After all, at this time you can talk with colleagues, drink tea, surf the Internet from your phone or read a book. In this case, wise leaders do not prohibit the use of social networks, but simply ask employees about the results of their work. And when the work is done, you can chat on the Internet.
