Employees, beware of abuse!
10 January 2011
Read by 2120 persons
Excessive use of entertainment websites at work can lead to decreased productivity. Instead of censorship, it's about responsibility.
"Any use of computers provided to staff must be strictly professional." There isn't a single computerized administration or company where this memo isn't posted in various forms. And yet, computer equipment and the Internet are far from being used exclusively for professional purposes. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, MSN, YouTube, and other technological wonders are wreaking havoc in the workplace. The "phenomenon" has grown significantly in both the public and private sectors. Upon arriving at work in the morning, an employee has two reflexes: to mark their presence and see what's new on their favorite social network.
If the first operation only takes a few seconds, the second can last for hours, naturally taken from legal working time. With a computer in front, a high-speed Internet connection, and semi-partitioned offices (guaranteed discretion), it becomes difficult to resist temptation.
As soon as the supervisor is seen "prowling" nearby, quickly, all windows are closed, waiting for the "danger" to pass before starting again in earnest.... The employee's productivity suffers, especially if they perform a function that requires high availability and strong concentration. It is therefore no coincidence that banks, insurance companies, airlines, and telecommunications companies were the first sectors in Morocco to block access to social networks and other entertainment sites from their servers. "My administration has installed a filter to only display useful websites such as Google, Wikipedia, email sites, etc. Websites considered useless such as YouTube, Facebook, or any other distracting site are blocked," says Tarik, a civil servant at Poste Maroc. According to Lhoucine Tahiri, employment delegate in Rabat, employers have the right to regulate the use of the Internet and computer equipment to avoid any waste of working time, "as long as it is paid work." This regulation, in truth, doesn't only make people unhappy.
Khaled, a senior manager at a major telephone operator, spent most of his day browsing Facebook, Twitter, MSN, etc., neglecting his duties. When management decided to subsequently block access to these sites, it was a great disappointment for him. Today, Khaled acknowledges the validity of this decision. "Indeed, these sites took up a lot of my time and reduced my productivity," he admits.
For Yassine, a computer engineer, the judicious use of the Internet outside of working hours can be beneficial. "Moderate use of social networks can create a relaxing environment and help employees overcome stress and, of course, improve their productivity. It remains only to define the necessary parameters and the appropriate mode of use for each company," he qualifies. In other functions where employees are only subject to a results obligation, social networks are tolerated within reason. "Sincerely, I have never received requests from employees or managers concerning problems related to the use of entertainment websites in the workplace," affirms Mr. Tahiri. Since in the eyes of some managers (not many in any case), what matters most is the employee's actual performance, that is, their ability to complete the tasks assigned to them within the deadlines set, regardless of how they use their time.
In other words, as long as a few minutes of browsing entertainment sites do not lead to professional negligence, procrastination, or lack of concentration, one turns a blind eye. It is only when there is abuse or a significant drop in productivity that energetic measures are taken to reprimand the person concerned. But, according to Mr. Tarik, such measures have shown their limits. "Even without Internet access, unserious civil servants will always find a way to distract themselves: coffee, newspapers, casual conversations with colleagues, simply resting..." This means that censorship is useless: it is necessary to promote responsibility.
Working... on Facebook
Do you believe that social networks only serve to entertain and make you forget the stress of work? Think again, because more and more companies are not only allowing access to these sites, but encouraging, even requiring their employees to use them for purely professional purposes. This is particularly the case in companies whose activities rely heavily on internal and external communication. Ali, a young journalist, says that in his profession, knowing how to communicate on Facebook is an added value. "All my colleagues and superiors are on Facebook. For us, it's a valuable tool for exchanging and sharing information, for finding information from reliable sources, and for expanding our professional network. My productivity is only better because of it." According to Lhoucine Tahiri, employment delegate in Rabat, "the use of social networks online is even desirable when it is in the interest of the establishment and contributes to improving the quality of work."
Published January 6, 2011
Posted online January 7, 2011
lematin.ma
"Any use of computers provided to staff must be strictly professional." There isn't a single computerized administration or company where this memo isn't posted in various forms. And yet, computer equipment and the Internet are far from being used exclusively for professional purposes. Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, MSN, YouTube, and other technological wonders are wreaking havoc in the workplace. The "phenomenon" has grown significantly in both the public and private sectors. Upon arriving at work in the morning, an employee has two reflexes: to mark their presence and see what's new on their favorite social network.
If the first operation only takes a few seconds, the second can last for hours, naturally taken from legal working time. With a computer in front, a high-speed Internet connection, and semi-partitioned offices (guaranteed discretion), it becomes difficult to resist temptation.
As soon as the supervisor is seen "prowling" nearby, quickly, all windows are closed, waiting for the "danger" to pass before starting again in earnest.... The employee's productivity suffers, especially if they perform a function that requires high availability and strong concentration. It is therefore no coincidence that banks, insurance companies, airlines, and telecommunications companies were the first sectors in Morocco to block access to social networks and other entertainment sites from their servers. "My administration has installed a filter to only display useful websites such as Google, Wikipedia, email sites, etc. Websites considered useless such as YouTube, Facebook, or any other distracting site are blocked," says Tarik, a civil servant at Poste Maroc. According to Lhoucine Tahiri, employment delegate in Rabat, employers have the right to regulate the use of the Internet and computer equipment to avoid any waste of working time, "as long as it is paid work." This regulation, in truth, doesn't only make people unhappy.
Khaled, a senior manager at a major telephone operator, spent most of his day browsing Facebook, Twitter, MSN, etc., neglecting his duties. When management decided to subsequently block access to these sites, it was a great disappointment for him. Today, Khaled acknowledges the validity of this decision. "Indeed, these sites took up a lot of my time and reduced my productivity," he admits.
For Yassine, a computer engineer, the judicious use of the Internet outside of working hours can be beneficial. "Moderate use of social networks can create a relaxing environment and help employees overcome stress and, of course, improve their productivity. It remains only to define the necessary parameters and the appropriate mode of use for each company," he qualifies. In other functions where employees are only subject to a results obligation, social networks are tolerated within reason. "Sincerely, I have never received requests from employees or managers concerning problems related to the use of entertainment websites in the workplace," affirms Mr. Tahiri. Since in the eyes of some managers (not many in any case), what matters most is the employee's actual performance, that is, their ability to complete the tasks assigned to them within the deadlines set, regardless of how they use their time.
In other words, as long as a few minutes of browsing entertainment sites do not lead to professional negligence, procrastination, or lack of concentration, one turns a blind eye. It is only when there is abuse or a significant drop in productivity that energetic measures are taken to reprimand the person concerned. But, according to Mr. Tarik, such measures have shown their limits. "Even without Internet access, unserious civil servants will always find a way to distract themselves: coffee, newspapers, casual conversations with colleagues, simply resting..." This means that censorship is useless: it is necessary to promote responsibility.
Working... on Facebook
Do you believe that social networks only serve to entertain and make you forget the stress of work? Think again, because more and more companies are not only allowing access to these sites, but encouraging, even requiring their employees to use them for purely professional purposes. This is particularly the case in companies whose activities rely heavily on internal and external communication. Ali, a young journalist, says that in his profession, knowing how to communicate on Facebook is an added value. "All my colleagues and superiors are on Facebook. For us, it's a valuable tool for exchanging and sharing information, for finding information from reliable sources, and for expanding our professional network. My productivity is only better because of it." According to Lhoucine Tahiri, employment delegate in Rabat, "the use of social networks online is even desirable when it is in the interest of the establishment and contributes to improving the quality of work."
Published January 6, 2011
Posted online January 7, 2011
lematin.ma
