The Facebook Friend Request Employees Dread
Getting a friend request on Facebook is usually exciting, but there is one notable exception. When that request comes from a boss or manager, a majority of workers say they are uncomfortable in accepting it.
Workers have good reason to have those feelings. That's because nearly 1 in 3 employees say they know of a person who has been reprimanded for inappropriate postings on Facebook, research by Fierce Inc., found. That research also found that 40 percent of employees engage in inappropriate communications with co-workers on Facebook, including everything from gossiping to flirting.
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Despite those risks, more than 80 percent of workers say they use Facebook at work. Though the vast majority of workers use the social networking site, more than 50 percent of respondents say that Facebook is ineffective at enhancing relationships at work. In fact, 16 percent of workers say that they have lost respect for co-workers because of things they posted on Facebook.
Not only does Facebook cause discomfort among co-workers, but it also has a number of other negative consequences as well. First, 23 percent of people say that Facebook negatively impacts their productivity at work. And 18 percent say that sharing personal information is uncomfortable.
"Organizations should think very, very carefully about forbidding any communication or potential team-building tools in the office, whether it be Facebook, sports fantasy leagues or political conversations," said Halley Bock, CEO and president of Fierce Inc., which conducted the research. "Forward-thinking organizations should hold exploratory conversations with employees to gather diverse perspectives on using Facebook at work, and then establish clear guidelines which hold employees able to access the network appropriately."
The research was based on the response of 800 employees and executives from several industries.
This story was provided by BusinessNewsDaily, a sister site to LiveScience. Follow David Mielach on Twitter @D_M89 . Follow us @bndarticles, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on BusinessNewsDaily.
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