Should employers ban the use of social networking sites at work?

FOR 

· Wastes Employer's Money Using social networking sites while not on break at work wastes productivity on the boss's dime. Employers should already have Internet/phone usage rules in place before employees work there so they know what to expect. In general, using the Internet or texting while on the clock is a no-no, so use common sense while on the clock! 

· No time wasting at work I think they should. Most companies already have it in their policies that Internet is not supposed to be used for personal purposes during work time. That includes social networking sites, by definition. Some companies use software to track how employees use the Internet, too. They understand that some folks would try to violate the rules. 

· Social networking can become a distraction In some cases, yes, employers may want to band the use of social networking on their work computers. If it has become a distraction or a hindrance to accomplishing the daily task that an employee must complete than it is cost the employer money. It can also cause a rift in employee's working relationship with each other if things are posted about one another. 

· Yes, it is a distraction. Employers should be perfectly entitled to ban the use of social networking sites at work; it is not only a distraction, but the employers are not paying them to sit their chatting and playing games they are paid to work. Employees should not be on those sites even if it is allowed at work. 

· Yes, employees waste time on them. Yes, employers should ban the use of social networking sites at work, because employees waste a great deal of time on them. Although employees like them, they are a great way to waste time and to be distracted. Employees get more done if they are able to concentrate on their work without distractions from social media. 

AGAINST 

· Employers should not ban the use of social networking sites at work. The use of social networking sites should be left up to the account holder. If the use of these sites start to get in the way of the work that should be done then I think the employer has the right to ask the employee to stop using it. 

· No they should not ban it. There should be no issues between work and social networking sites at work as long as it is done in an employee’s own time such as a break. Employees have the right to post what they want to on their pages as it is their right, and employers should not try to block that. 

· Communication -- whether it's internal or external -- is key to business success. One of the fastest means of communication today is social networking. In fact, it's just about the most immediate form of communication you can find. Your employees may be communicating with the outside world, but many of those people on the outside are consumers and possible clients. 

· Advertising . Dare I say "free advertising"? I dare and I do. Social networking brings to businesses a boon of free advertising. You can't afford not to hop onto this bandwagon. And getting on board early shows the public that you are an agile, aware company. Allowing your employees to take advantage of social networking also shows you care about them. In this society, caring goes a long way. All of that makes for some seriously powerful advertising. 

· Social networking facilitates collaboration internally, but it also lets users collaborate with the entire world. I have done this countless times. When I've been stuck on an idea, I call out to my followers on Twitter or Facebook to get a deluge of answers. It's free and it's fast. 

· Your company and its employees need to know how to use social networking effectively. Why? Because our society is on a collision course with an even further embedding of social media into our lives. You want your company and your employees at the forefront of that trend. At some point, your employees may have to use social networking to market and sell your product. Allowing them to use it on a daily basis now will ensure that they're social media savvy, without the need for training. 

· The world wants transparency. We've seen it from every level of business and government. Allowing your employees to participate in social networking illustrates to your employees' social circle that you mean business when it comes to employee retention and happiness. Today's consumers and society eat that up. But if they see a company deliberately squelching the employee voice and hiding behind the walls of security and information blocking, there will be a backlash. Transparency can go a long way toward boosting customer loyalty as well as your customers' faith in you as a business within the community. 

· You want your company to network. You want your employees to network. You want your employees to know what other companies are doing and to be in touch with the heartbeat of your market. What better way to accomplish this than with social networking? Yes, they can network with email, but not on as grand a scale.