56% of Irish businesses ban Social Media in the Workplace

A new survey reveals that 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.

The survey also exposes a generational divide among those surveyed. 82% of 16-24 year olds believe 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.

Just under half (49%) of those surveyed would like to see wearable devices equipped with healthcare apps added to their employee packages. This was more prevalent among women where 56% would like wearable devices in their employee packages, while only 44% of men were interested in this.

It seems that Irish employers’ technology was lacking in their employees’ eyes as less than a fifth (18%) of office workers rated their employers’ current infrastructure as excellent.

Chas Moloney, director, Ricoh Ireland and UK, said, “Outlawing sites like Facebook demonstrates a draconian approach to social collaboration and prevents employees from developing their own digital workstyles. 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,” Moloney concluded.