Two-Thirds of UK Workers Think Social Networking Sites Should be Banned from the Workplace

    LONDON, ENGLAND, July 26, 2011 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The survey of 4,245 workers across the UK revealed that just one-in-three employees accesses Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn or other social networking sites whilst at work.

However, for some professions, social networks have become a staple of the working day. Almost half of those with jobs in Marketing and PR tap into the social sphere every day, compared to just a quarter of Finance workers.

And when it comes to following Twitter or updating a Facebook status, mobile takes the lead: 60% of UK employees opt to use their phone over a work computer.

The research also revealed that one-in-four businesses has banned employees from browsing social networking sites during work hours. 35% of employers give full access and, while the remaining 40% do allow access, it's almost always permitted for business purposes only.

Martin Warnes, Managing Director of reed.co.uk comments:

"In spite of their phenomenal popularity, the majority of UK workers would rather steer clear of Facebook and Twitter whilst they're at work, with many seeing them as an unwelcome distraction or a risk to their privacy.

"But social networks aren't just about liking and poking, they have an increasingly important role in business and in career development. Used in the right way, social networks offer a powerful platform for engaging with new customers, strengthening client relationships and gathering information.

Warnes recommends employers enter into a dialogue with their staff about access to social networking sites at work:

"For many, social networking is a way of life, and smartphones allow us to stay up-to-date no matter where we are and what we're doing. So to avoid a situation where employees are surreptitiously accessing Facebook and Google + under their desks, employers should engage with their staff to determine an appropriate policy for use.

A visual summary of reed.co.uk's research findings have been summarised in an infographic: www.reed.co.uk/cms/start/articles/socialnetworking.

About reed.co.uk:

reed.co.uk is the UK's leading online recruitment service. Owned by Reed Executive PLC, reed.co.uk enables jobseekers to search over 95,000 jobs from more than 8,000 recruiters across 42 industry sectors.

Registered jobseekers can receive email job alerts, save searches and make their details available to a range of recruiters, including Reed's network of trained recruitment consultants.

Recruiters of all types benefit from reed.co.uk's range of innovative online recruitment solutions, including: online job posting and applicant management; advertise a job with Guaranteed Response; CV Search; targeted branding and email services.

ABCe audited traffic figures for reed.co.uk (January 2011):
Unique Users/Browsers: 3,702,372
Page Impressions: 68,132,104
Online Job Applications: 2,229,410

For further information, please contact Mark Rhodes or Lynn Cahillane on 020 7067 4582
Email: [email protected]
Dragon Court, 28 Macklin Street, London, WC2B 5LX

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