Staff using social media at work. How do I block them?

[aflat9]

Hi,

I recently caught a member of staff red handed on Facebook whilst at work (I wouldn't usually mind but she's not in the good books as it is). Does anyone know an easy way to restrict access to Facebook and other social media sites that are irrelevant to our work?

 

[Ankur@Ganitsoft]

Hi there. Was she accessing FB in her smartphone or in her official workstation? In case of former, there is not much control possible apart from a session of teaching her about office etiquette. In case of latter, you may seek help of your IT team to block irrelevant social media access of all employees. In case she is smart, she can still access them through proxy sites.

I would recommend that you sit with her over coffee and explain the importance of work and demerits of her habit. May be you can allot your staff 10-15 minutes time on a daily basis to access social media.

 

[aflat9]

Hi, it was the latter. Yes I was thinking that. I don't want to be horrible and restrict everything but she's not been great at the moment anyway.

Teenagers!!

Thanks though, I'll get in touch with our IT team.

 

[Employment Law Clinic]

In case of latter, you may seek help of your IT team to block irrelevant social media access of all employees.

This will only move the problem – staff will use their phones, rather than their desktops.

I would recommend that you sit with her over coffee and explain the importance of work and demerits of her habit. May be you can allot your staff 10-15 minutes time on a daily basis to access social media.

They couldn’t do much in 15 minutes, so perhaps give them 30 minutes, or even an hour off a day for this purpose. You could even give it a fancy title, perhaps something like a “lunch break”! (FFS, pay staff to socialise with their friends? Seriously?)

I would recommend that you sit with her over coffee and explain the importance of work and demerits of her habit.

If this is to be seriously deterred, there needs to be a deterrent – disciplinary action. Sit them down, and give them a warning that any further breach will result in formal action.



Karl Limpert

 

[Ankur@Ganitsoft]

Agreed Karl. However, the solution will depend on the situation and has to be moulded as per the problem child's personality. Not every way works for every issue!

 

[Employment Law Clinic]

Agreed Karl. However, the solution will depend on the situation and has to be moulded as per the problem child's personality. Not every way works for every issue!

Sorry, I thought we were discussing employees, not problem children. If it's the latter, confiscate their device, give them detention, send to the principal's office. If it's a responsible employee (as in this case), I would ignore the "child's" personality, and expect them to perform work when they're receiving wages.


Karl Limpert

 

[Ankur@Ganitsoft]

Read the original post by "aflat9" and you will understand why i used the term "problem child". If we understand the message rather than reading, things would be easy. Good day!

 

[fisicx]

Don't mess around. Tell them that they are not permitted to use workstation for personal purposes. Anyone caught doing so or using their phones during work time will receive a written warning.

They can do what they like during their breaks but not during work time.

 

[Employment Law Clinic]

Read the original post by "aflat9" and you will understand why i used the term "problem child". If we understand the message rather than reading, things would be easy. Good day!

I did read the original post: it referred to a "member of staff", and personally I think referring to any member of staff (even a teenager, as it subsequently emerged is the case here, although this activity is rarely limited to teenagers) as a "problem child" is demeaning, so I still don't understand why you used the term - or your penultimate sentence.

And I still don't see why people should be paid to socialise with friends - that's simply giving money away for nothing. Do you pay people for their leisure time?


Karl Limpert

 

[Ankur@Ganitsoft]

Most teenagers are like that. Some of them require a strategic effort to be dealt with. I say that again - problem child was used just as a light phrase which affected you heavily. I regret it.

 

[Newchodge]

Most teenagers are like that. Some of them require a strategic effort to be dealt with. I say that again - problem child was used just as a light phrase which affected you heavily. I regret it.

Most teenagers are like that because they have not ever been subjected to real life. An employee is an employee not a problem child.

If an employee is not doing their job they will be dismissed.

 

[Ankur@Ganitsoft]

And how does a teenager gets accustomed to real life ? Through practical experience right? So decide what is better- Mentoring them to perform well and explaining the ill effects of social media distractions OR threatening them with a dismissal ? Teenagers are the future of every country. You were too one at one time!

 

[Newchodge]

A teenager gets accustomed to real life by living it. I understood my role as an employee when I got a Saturday job when I was 13.

If an employee does not understand that their role is to work for the benefit of their employer, they have no value and should be dismissed.

 

[Ankur@Ganitsoft]

Nice thinking! Chuck out an employee because he/she accessed facebook. In this way, you will have to get rid nearly 95% of your employees. I though that mentoring them would help. But i will go with your advice and shut down my business sooner or later if I face such a situation. Thanks for being of huge help.

 

[Employment Law Clinic]

Nice thinking! Chuck out an employee because he/she accessed facebook. In this way, you will have to get rid nearly 95% of your employees. I though that mentoring them would help. But i will go with your advice and shut down my business sooner or later if I face such a situation. Thanks for being of huge help.

But didn’t you suggest taking action against them, Ankur?

I would recommend that you sit with her over coffee and explain the importance of work and demerits of her habit.

A good disciplinary procedure (or “demerits”, particularly if you’re discussing school children) would explain the importance of working while at work, and only if the informal, or even low-level sanctions, don’t lead to the necessary improvements would dismissal be necessary.


As an employer, it's not hard to say to staff that they're expected to work at work, and can socialise in their own time. If they don't get the message from informal mentoring or formal warnings, they get all the time they want to use social media.


Karl Limpert

 

[Ankur@Ganitsoft]

Hi Karl, One has to first understand the circumstances under which the original poster in this thread hired a teenager for a job in her company. May be she as an intern or may be as a fresher. Everyone has a right of opinion and right to be act differently from others. I presented mine and you presented yours. Let us leave to the lady to take a decision as she is the decision maker. \
Have a nice day!

 

[fisicx]

The reason for hiring is irrelevant, the person is there to work not to browse facebook. If they can't follow the rules then they first get a warning and eventually dismissal.

 

[Employment Law Clinic]

One has to first understand the circumstances under which the original poster in this thread hired a teenager for a job in her company. May be she as an intern or may be as a fresher.

I don't see the relevance, but when I first started work, even if I was an intern or had reached the age of a teenager, I would have been disappointed to think that meant I was free to chat to friends, only to later learn in the real world that I was expected to actually work for a living.

Do you seriously think it's a good impression to give teenagers (even if they're interns or freshers) that they don't have to sit in their bedroom, instead they can sit in your workplace to chat to their friends, and get paid for it too? You suggest these are our future, but want to mislead them on what work involves!

And if it is important to understand subtle details, I would observe that @aflat9 appears from their profile to be male, so I doubt "she" hired anyone to work in "her" company!


Karl Limpert

 

[Ankur@Ganitsoft]

You read a lot between the lines. Alas! still do not get the meaning. Last post from me on this topic.

 

[Newchodge]

You read a lot between the lines. Alas! still do not get the meaning. Last post from me on this topic.

Well let's be thankful for small mercies.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

What a plonker

Simple answer to OP

Print out a letter to each employee stating that company Phones and Computers are only to be used for business purposes

Mobile phones should be switched off on entering company premises and remain so for the duration of working time

Any person needing to contact you for emergency's mag call the company phone number and passed through to you

Staff found to be breaking these rules may have disciplinary action taken against them

Get all staff to sign it and monitor the situation

 

[Employment Law Clinic]

You read a lot between the lines. Alas! still do not get the meaning. Last post from me on this topic.

Thanks for the compliment, I do like to be forensic. It actually helped me embarrass one of the top barristers in the country, when I was able to agree with her, and in the process turn the flaws that she exposed onto her client rather than her intended target (my client).


I’m sure if you stick with it though, you’ll get the meaning of “employment”, Ankur: it’s paying someone to perform actions on your company's behalf, rather than paying someone to do their own recreational things.


Karl Limpert

 

[jblz]

I would recommend that you sit with her over coffee and explain the importance of work and demerits of her habit. May be you can allot your staff 10-15 minutes time on a daily basis to access social media.

If this is to be seriously deterred, there needs to be a deterrent – disciplinary action. Sit them down, and give them a warning that any further breach will result in formal action.

Heh, polar opposite management styles being recommended here!

I'd agree that a managerial, rather than technical approach should be considered first however, we're now on page 2 and nobody has actually answered your question.

[Damn I just accidentally deleted half my response by fixing a small formatting issue...heres a summary]

There are lots of ways to do this but OpenDNS is likely the easiest to get going and most cost effective, assuming a small company with no central server.
You set it up by changing a couple of settings on the PCs (or your router), and then you can block specific/categories of websites, see reports and other features of that nature.Cisco bought them and they got all enterprisey but I believe you can still have small accounts with them.
They also have a free home versionif you'd like to assess its suitability without buying anything.

Even if you did have a small Windows server, I'd likely still recommend OpenDNS/Cisco Umbrella above for ease and cost.

 

[soundengineeruk]

Personally I would not care if they are social media.. If they don't deliver the results as expected then whacked with a disciplinary. If monitor or micro manage them it will drive them to other means.

When I manage teams I ask them to be mature about their attitude, time keeping etc... Yes, different rules have to apply if staff are front office to those in back office.

 

[threenine]

I am glad to see the re-emergence of Victorian Work practices.

Can't wait to see re-introduction of lashes and compulsory beatings.

Morale can only be improved with more beatings!

Can't wait for Brexit to complete then we can just get on with implementing this master plan.

Seriously though, You are wasting your time trying to Ban or block social media. Yes you can sit down with your staff and do all that "Best Practice" HR.

The reality is staff can, do and will pull the mickey whichever Law, Punishment or any other form of subservience you wish to inflict.

8.5 Hours a day, is a long time to control anyone's behaviour. I am a company owner and have been self employed most of my adult life. I know what it takes to get things done and be productive because ultimately I know what the price is if I don't!

I do find it rather striking that all the replies here , stating this staff members act is Disgraceful and shouldn't be allowed, Are all people who are participating in a form of social media most probably during work hours!

The plain and simple fact is, you may have a bad egg or just an ill informed one. It comes down to leadership not management.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

It is easy for small companies to have owners who are friends with all employees and all get on well,but then comes the problems in that some staff then feel they can abuse the friendship by bad working practices

As a company grows the abuse in this case can grow to very expensive costs

5 people using either social media or phones for one hour a week means you loose 5 hours work and pay for them doing nothing = £37.5 on min wage of £7.50

Imagine a company grows to 50 staff and the lax disaplin grows to more than one hour a week each person

 

[threenine]

Oh God yes!

When we factor in Toilet Break, Coffee Time, Lunch, water cooler chats, Ice breaking chit chat between employees, Unnecessary meetings . The costs just spiral into the millions!

There is only one thing for it. Beat your staff from the minute they arrive till the minute they leave! If you can get them beaten at home too!

 

[MathSpire]

Hi,

I recently caught a member of staff red handed on Facebook whilst at work (I wouldn't usually mind but she's not in the good books as it is). Does anyone know an easy way to restrict access to Facebook and other social media sites that are irrelevant to our work?

You can 1. redirect at a router level, 2. redirect at a computer level using hosts file, or 3. install web filtering software on computers.

 

[Employment Law Clinic]

I am glad to see the re-emergence of Victorian Work practices.

Asking staff to come to work to actually work is now deemed a Victorian Work practice?

8.5 Hours a day, is a long time to control anyone's behaviour.

If you don’t actually need the staff to work 8.5 hour days, such that they can be free to engage in personal activities rather than working, why bother employing them for 8.5 days? Just reduce the hours to those that work is needed, and pay for those hours, saving wages & the associated holiday pay, pension contributions, NIC. Surely that’s easier – and more economical.

Seriously though, You are wasting your time trying to Ban or block social media. Yes you can sit down with your staff and do all that "Best Practice" HR.


The reality is staff can, do and will pull the mickey whichever Law, Punishment or any other form of subservience you wish to inflict.



It comes down to leadership not management.

Actually, management does allow you to control what staff do. And if it doesn't, they need not be employed at all - someone that's willing to work for a wage will be available.

Morale can only be improved with more beatings!

I thought we were perhaps discussing productivity – getting staff to work when paid to work.

When we factor in Toilet Break, Coffee Time, Lunch, water cooler chats, Ice breaking chit chat between employees, Unnecessary meetings . The costs just spiral into the millions!


There is only one thing for it. Beat your staff from the minute they arrive till the minute they leave! If you can get them beaten at home too!

Or perhaps manage those things you can control, that don’t add value to the business, like staff using your time to tend to their farm, or unnecessary meetings, and recognise that some basics such as using the lavatory are only reasonable, have to be allowed for. Why even bother expecting staff to come to work? Wouldn't it would be nicer & easier for the employees to allow them to stay at home to chat to their friends, but still get paid? The employer could save on accommodation costs then too.



Karl Limpert

 

[threenine]

Asking staff to come to work to actually work is now deemed a Victorian Work practice?

heavens no! Never said that.
But ensuring that the WorkPlace is the last place on earth that people would want to willingly go is.

Work, is something that people should actually enjoy doing, and actually want to do.

Just reduce the hours to those that work is needed, and pay for those hours, saving wages & the associated holiday pay, pension contributions, NIC. Surely that’s easier – and more economical.

0 hour contracts! Been a great success and people on them obviously love them!

I thought we were perhaps discussing productivity

More Beatings I say! It worked for the Romans and Egyptians! Just look at the productivity they got! Not entirely sure they had happy work forces though!

Wouldn't it would be nicer & easier for the employees to allow them to stay at home to chat to their friends, but still get paid?

I actually do this! I have people that work for me, from the comfort of their homes. All around the world. I don't monitor their social media activity, hell I don't even care what they are doing right now! I know for a fact that some of them are not on their computers right now!

Do I care ? NO ! Not in the slightest. I really couldn't care less about what any of them are doing right at this minute. I just hope they are enjoying it.

What I do care about. What really matters is, have they finished or will they finish the work that has been allocated to them.

We all know and understand the consequences of what happens if we don't!

I'm just off to hug a tree!

 

[Employment Law Clinic]

What I do care about. What really matters is, have they finished or will they finish the work that has been allocated to them.

We all know and understand the consequences of what happens if we don't!

An all-expenses-paid weekend away on a motivation course?


Karl Limpert

 

[Chris Ashdown]

What I do care about. What really matters is, have they finished or will they finish the work that has been allocated to them.

So what do you do if they have not finished it and state they forgot the time as on facebook

Tell them that's OK folk, please try to do it better next time as your late delivery only cost me a contract

 

[threenine]

Tell them that's OK folk, please try to do it better next time as your late delivery only cost me a contract

This is the art of leadership over management.

I manage the work not the worker!
I lead the worker not the work.

 

[threenine]

An all-expenses-paid weekend away on a motivation course?

If thats what floats your boat. Go for it!

 

[Chris Ashdown]

You seem to think there is a difference between Leadership and Management, I have always believed they are both the same a manager leads by leadership

So answer the question what would you do?

 

[threenine]

You seem to think there is a difference between Leadership and Management, I have always believed they are both the same a manager leads by leadership

So by your definition you can only be a leader if you're manager.

So answer the question what would you do?

I will certainly answer whichever question you propose. However I don't think there was one.

 

[Employment Law Clinic]

I manage the work not the worker!
I lead the worker not the work.

If your staff (including the inexperienced, youthful ones) are good at managing, why not motivate them to do more, open up the possibility of a managerial (or leadership) post?


Karl Limpert

 

[Employment Law Clinic]

I will certainly answer whichever question you propose. However I don't think there was one.

So what do you do if they have not finished it and state they forgot the time as on facebook

I guess Chris didn’t manage to include a question mark. Probably too busy on Facebook.

Tell them that's OK folk, please try to do it better next time as your late delivery only cost me a contract

Twice. A terrible example that Chris is giving/leading.

So answer the question what would you do?

Third time lucky.



Karl Limpert

 

[threenine]

So I take it, what you're asking is what would I do if work I had assigned someone was not completed or completed satisfactorily ?

If that is the question, then I'm sorry to disappoint you, if you are expecting any other answer.

I am afraid that I will release them to pursuit alternative opportunities elsewhere or I would ask them what I could do to assist them or empower them to complete the work to satisfactory condition.

What else would you do if your trust has been broken?

I am not going to sugar coat it for you. I am definitely that brutal, but it doesn't mean I don't enjoy a free , harmonious and happy work place environment.

In my experience and it may just be down to my personality type, but I certainly do not like Micro Management. I prefer to Macro Manage.

 

[Employment Law Clinic]

I am afraid that I will release them to pursuit alternative opportunities elsewhere or I would ask them what I could do to assist them or empower them to complete the work to satisfactory condition.


What else would you do if your trust has been broken?

A sound view... except, before it was edited (dare I suggest, the instinctive initial thoughts?), this post simply said:

I am afraid that I will release them to pursuit alternative opportunities elsewhere.


What else would you do if your trust has been broken?

so it seems that the extra “ or I would ask them what I could do to assist them or empower them to complete the work to satisfactory condition” was an afterthought. A sensible improvement to the leadership approach though.


For reference, at some time post 1901 the law evolved to create protection against what the law describes as “unfair dismissals” – protection in law for employees against brutal employers. And ACAS was created, and that organisation provides a Code of Conduct on how to handle disciplinary matters. Said Code of Conduct includes an expectation that the employer will actually speak to the employee before deciding to release them to “pursue alternative opportunities” (or in layman’s terms, “sack them”).

So just like in this thread, advice that’s been criticised by @threenine, when the OP found that trust was broken, that staff weren’t doing as they were asked, or doing what they were instructed not to do, but instead engaging in their own personal activities, the antiquated advice was to speak to the staff – informally, and if that didn’t lead to the necessary improvement in behaviour, formally.

But while @threenine thinks this is good enough for their own staff, if anyone else dare to contemplate the same, it’s considered to be the re-emergence of Victorian Work practices.


I won’t sugar coat it: I think that’s blatant hypocrisy from @threenine. And I stand by & endorse the advice both I & others posted above - all that reflects a post-Victorian era.



Karl Limpert