posted by allura
Posted on September 2nd, 2009 by Tim Danton
I’ve always been of the opinion that if people do the job they’re paid for, and they do it well, then it’s irrelevant whether they spend some of their working day using services like Facebook and Twitter. But I must admit that a piece by Theo Paphitis in today’s Daily Mail does ring a few bells.
“Sadly,” he writes, “the addictive, all-consuming nature of online connections means that the worst Internet offenders are reneging on their part of the bargain.” The bargain being that they’re there to earn money for the business, and themselves of course.
He concludes his full-page piece by declaring, “restrictions on usage of workplace computers will not work on their own. So employers will have to be even tougher in future, instituting bans on the use of mobiles during working hours.
“But that is only fair. In the end, businesses and public services cannot survive if staff prefer socializing online rather than doing the job for which they are paid.”
It’s hard to argue with this, particularly for anyone in the service industry. When I worked on the shop floor at John Lewis, shortly after graduating in the height of the previous recession, I wouldn’t have dreamt of checking my mobile for messages – although I admit that back in 1993 mobile phones weren’t quite so easy to slip into a pocket.
And, today, if I was in a shop and couldn’t get served because someone was updating their Twitter status or texting a friend, I wouldn’t be impressed.
But is it really fair to stop office-based workers from taking a break from their hourly grind to check on their Facebook wall, to respond to a personal email or send a quick tweet?
Theo points to the recession as a supporting factor, saying “it is particularly irresponsible to indulge in such behavior at this time of recession”, but I’d argue that in this time of cutbacks – where people are asked to do more for less money, and without any extra perks – it’s a very cheap way for employers to keep their staff motivated.
Now Theo is chairman of Ryman and I’m a lowly editor. In terms of day-to-day experience, there’s absolutely no doubt that he wins when it comes to getting the most out of staff. But is he actually right? If anyone’s been on the thick end of a Facebook ban, or enforced one for their company, I’d be very interested to know the end result. And how would you feel if your phone was confiscated as you walked into work each morning?