A question that affects most business owners, managers and IT professionals is whether or not to block access to social networks during employees' working hours.
There are advantages and disadvantages to controlling internet access while working in companies. Below we list some pros and cons, which may even help you decide what your company's internet usage policy will be. Finally, we point out some measures that can be adopted so that employees and managers are satisfied and your team and the company remain productive.
Advantages of blocking access to social networks in companies
There are several advantages of controlling internet access in the business environment, especially when the main blocks are social networks, as you can see in the next lines.
More focus on work
By blocking access to networks such as Facebook , Instagram and WhatsApp , there will likely be a considerable increase in employees' focus on activities that are really important to the company. The waste of time and attention generated by accessing social networks is a reality and needs to be closely monitored by responsible managers and professionals.
Increased productivity and quality of tasks
Naturally, with greater focus on the company's activities, employees and teams will increase productivity. Without access to social networks, they have more time dedicated to company tasks, greater attention and more concentration at work. These points can also contribute to greater quality in the tasks performed and results, as there are no interruptions or distractions during the execution of activities.
Improved Internet Performance
In addition to attracting people's attention, social networks also consume a large part of Internet resources. At this point we can highlight Youtube, Instagram and TikTok, as uploading videos consumes precious network resources.
In reality, all social networks consume network resources, with a lot of content, images, videos and constant updates in real time.
One of the main factors in performance is that when there is slowness in the company's network, it can compromise the functioning of programs and services used by the company.
By blocking access, it is possible to guarantee the best functioning of the systems.
Fewer security risks
Social networks are also full of malicious links that can lead the user to unintentionally install viruses, spyware and malware on the company's equipment and computer network, which can cause slowdowns, equipment malfunctions or data leaks. With computers exposed to viruses, the loss of important company files that have not been backed up can also happen.
Reduction of staff costs
With more focused and productive employees, your team will naturally deliver tasks faster and with higher quality. Therefore, it is possible to increase the number of tasks performed by the team or even reduce the team.
To estimate the costs of accessing social networks, we can make a simple calculation: considering 20% of the time spent working on social networks, in a team of 10 people with an average salary of R$1,000.00, the monthly cost reaches to R$ 2,000.00, corresponding to 2 employees.
Simulate the cost of time wasted in your team due to poor internet use.
Disadvantages of blocking access to Social Media at work
Humberto Ferreira Neto said: “Not everything in life is flowers”. There are also negative points of blocking access to social networks at work that must be observed carefully, and that is exactly what we will see in the next few lines.
Less creativity
Social media can also help. In the case of employees who work creatively, the use of networks can help with creation, as well as those who need to be informed about the latest events.
Agility in searching for information
Through social networks it is also possible to carry out certain searches more quickly than through conventional search engines, after all, one of the fastest ways to spread information and news is social networks, thus facilitating the access and flow of information.
Increased communication costs
The use of communication applications such as WhatsApp, Skype and Messenger, for example, can reduce operational costs, such as long distance calls, as it is possible to contact people anywhere without the need to use a telephone, for example.
What to do?
Regardless of the choice, the most important thing is to maintain a clear internet usage policy and make employees aware of what can be accessed in the workplace.
It is necessary to understand that to define the internet access policy it is important to consider the profile of your company and its employees. It is not recommended to set extreme rules, such as keeping all access blocked.
The best option is to partially allow or block access , which could be by time or by type of sites and content. For example: releasing social media at the beginning and end of each work shift for 15 minutes, making the work environment healthier.
For most companies, partial control has been the solution. This control can be implemented in several ways:
- Only block the use of sites that use many network resources, such as YouTube;
- Allow access at certain times, such as at the beginning and end of work hours or at breaks;
- Block access individually or by groups of users.
In the latter, it is possible to grant use to sectors that really need this access, and block it for those who do not need access to the networks, due to the nature of their activities.
If you have doubts about the best policy for your company, a good alternative is to seek references from companies that manage internet access, to find out what rules are used and the results obtained. It is also recommended to seek out alternatives and internet access control services , knowing the characteristics of each solution, evaluating whether they satisfactorily meet the needs of your company.
We hope the text can help you decide whether to block access to social media in your company. If you have already implemented access management, share your experience in the comments.
