Workplace use of social networks costing UK ‘up to £14bn’

A survey by MyJobGroup (which operates the UK's largest network of regional jobsites) has estimated that the true cost to the UK economy of employees accessing social media sites at work could be up to £14bn in lost work time.  Productivity is suffering as a result, with SMEs likely to be hardest hit.

The poll of over 1,000 workers revealed that more than half (55%) of the UK's 34 million-strong working population now access social media while at work, with around 18% spending at least half an hour a day on Facebook, Twitter and the like, and 6% (i.e. some two million people) over an hour - more than an eighth of their working day.

However only 14% of those polled admitted to being less productive as a result of social media use, with 10% actually claiming it made them more productive.  (Well they would, wouldn't they.)  There was also widespread resistance to the idea of banning workplace access to social networks, with over two-thirds (68%) opposed to this.

MyJobGroup MD Lee Fayer says "Our results clearly show that UK workers are spending increased time whilst at work on social media networks, which, left unchecked, could have negative repercussions on the productivity of many companies across the country.

"Whilst we're certainly not killjoys, people spending over an hour per day in work time on the likes of Facebook and Twitter are seriously hampering companies' efforts to boost productivity, which is more important than ever given the fragile state of our economy.

"Companies would do well to monitor use of social networking sites during working hours and ensure that their employees are not abusing their freedom of access to these sites."

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