Two out of three people on the job in Denmark are now allowed to be on Facebook and other social media sites while they are at work, according to a new study by workplace interest group Lederne.
The results reveal an increase from 2010, when just under half of all bosses allowed their employees to be on Facebook during working hours.
Post ‘em if you got ‘em
Helle Bruun Madsen, a management consultant at Lederne, said that time spent on social media has become the new workplace smoke break.
“We all need breaks during a long work day,” Madsen told TV2 Business. “We used to have smoke breaks, and now a journey onto social media is the modern equivalent of a coffee or smoke break.”
The increasing acceptance of social media time comes with a bit more surveillance.
Big Brother is watching
Over the last six years, more bosses have felt the need to monitor their employees’ use of social media. In 2010, 19 percent of mangers kept an eye on an employee’s use of Facebook and Twitter. That number has now risen to 31 percent.
“Most employees can manage their time, so it is a matter of trust,” said Madsen. “It may be that there is a need for setting limits for an individual employee’s misuse or overuse of social media.”
READ MORE: Danes check their phones 2.5 times every hour
Madsen expressed some concern that employees spending too much time on social media may miss out on a traditional office social life.
“There is the danger that employees too preoccupied with their own small screen will miss out on things happening in the workplace,” she said.
