Facebook superpokes addicts at work

Global - Approximately one in seven Facebook users are logged in and active all the time while at work, according to an global online survey done by Sophos on a sample of 500 Facebook members in September and October this year.

The purpose of the survey was to examine the implications on workforce productivity for companies that permit employees to have uncontrolled access to Facebook during office hours. 37.2% visited the site once or twice a day and 8% admitted using it up to 10 times a day, however the majority amounting to about 40% insist on their non-involvement in the social net work sites while at work.

Graham Cluley senior technology consultant at IT security and control firm Sophos said, "The results show that more than one fifth of these users are abusers. They're struggling to tear themselves away from the website when they should be concentrating on their jobs. Several trade unions have spoken out in the site's defence, suggesting that employers should put more trust in their workforce, and clearly the majority of people are using the site in moderation while is there a likelihood the 20% of addicts could ruin it for other rule-abiding users."

Some organisations such as Lloyds TSB, Credit Suisse, Transport for London and Kent County Council have blocked access to Facebook. Cluley added there has been furore at every organisation that blocked access to the site.

A similar research was conducted in August by a Sophos poll of 600 employees, 43% revealed access to Facebook was blocked by their companies while 50% said their company did not block access to Facebook, with 8% specifying the reason was fear of employee backlash while 7% shared that usage was limited to only employees with specific business requirements.

According to Peninsula, an employment law firm, an estimated 233 million hours are lost every month in the UK due to employees using social networking sites.