Skip to main content

Today's Poll: Should employers be able to ban Facebook and Twitter at work?

By Howard B. Owens
John Roach

No brainier. If you are hired to work, then that is what you are supposed to be doing. If you are on an unpaid lunch break, then OK, but not when on the clock.

Apr 26, 2013, 7:28am Permalink
Kelly Hansen

If you are on the internet during work time doing anything other than work, you are stealing from your employer. You may just as well take a case of paper and a pair of scissors home with you, too.

Apr 26, 2013, 7:52am Permalink
Jeff Allen

Quote from the Yahoo article "We have ultimately uncovered a dramatic shift in how people work today and how they want to work," Translation...we have uncovered how people don't get as much done as they used to and want to work even less than that. And we wonder why immigrant labor saturation and jobs going overseas remains an issue.

Apr 26, 2013, 8:10am Permalink
Raymond Richardson

If you're using the employers computer and internet access they have every right to restrict the content you access on that system.

After all, are you there to work or socialize? They're paying you to work.

Apr 26, 2013, 9:40am Permalink
Charlie Mallow

Employers should be able to ban anything they want but, depending on the job and the talent your looking to attract banning social media might not be a good idea.

Apr 26, 2013, 11:01am Permalink
Kyle Couchman

Thats not entirely true Kelly, in some jobs like that of a manager or secretary or even just an operator for a company...your presence is required to be able to do the job required. Otherwise you are standing by, for some companies the value of the having you there outweighs the loss of the downtime. So your assessment that being on the internet is stealing, is entirely true at all.

Apr 26, 2013, 12:17pm Permalink
Kyle Couchman

But dont misconstrue my answer to Kellys comment as a no to this question. I agree that employers should be able to ban the social networks from the workplace. However keep in mind that this should be the employer's choice. Some businesses do use these social networks to work from home, have meetings or confrences with employees in the field and generally anything you could use a letter or phone for thats not sensitive or requires much privacy.

Apr 26, 2013, 12:24pm Permalink
John Roach

Kyle hit the key. It is up to the person who pays you. You might have a job where the employer does not care if you are on social media. But it is up to the boss.

Apr 26, 2013, 1:41pm Permalink

Authentically Local