Over half (56%) of Irish workplaces ban all or some social media according to a new Censuswide poll of 500 Irish office workers commissioned by technology company, Ricoh Ireland.
Facebook is banned in 47% of workplaces followed by Twitter which is forbidden in 36% of offices. Content sharing platforms Instagram and Snapchat are blacklisted in a third (33%) of offices and instant messaging service WhatsApp is banned in 30% of Irish workplaces.
Furthermore, the survey also exposes a generational divide among those surveyed. Eighty two per cent of 16-24 year olds believing that social media and collaboration technology will improve their workplace relationships. However, at the other end of the spectrum only 23% of office workers aged 55+ agree.
Commenting on the research, Director of Ricoh Ireland and UK, Chas Moloney says, "Outlawing sites like Facebook demonstrates a draconian approach to social collaboration and prevents employees from developing their own digital workstyles."
He added, "Businesses should reverse blanket bans on social tools and where appropriate integrate them into office working environments. Employees cannot improve their digital dexterity if they are denied access to familiar social tools and platforms that can be used to improve their skillsets."
Source: www.businessworld.ie
