Facebook use cuts productivity at work: Study

I / Houston July 25, 2009, 14:42 IST

Facebook lovers, here is another survey showing how employee productivity is robbed at workplaces. So put a limit on its usage before employers and the bosses put a stop on its usage at work.

While it won't make employers popular, restricting Facebook can reclaim lost productivity.

A new study by Boston IT advisory firm, Nucleus Research finds that, company that allow users to access Facebook in the workplace lose an average 1.5 percent in total worker productivity.

Nearly half of employees in the recent 'social net-working' study use Facebook during work hours some as much as two hours per day.

The average worker uses it for 15 minutes a day, and most couldn't come up with a legitimate "business reason" for logging on.

The survey of 237 employees also showed that 77% of workers who have a Facebook account use it during work hours.

And "some" employees use the social networking site as much as two hours a day at work, the study found.

Nucleus Research did not say how many workers fit into that category, but did note that one in 33 workers surveyed only used Facebook at work.

Of those using Facebook at work, 87% said they had no clear business reason for using the site.

"If your company is facing tight margins and low profitability, as many are now, then how can you accept any work distractions that drain your overall productivity?" asked Rebecca Wettemann, vice president of research for Nucleus Research, in a statement.

"While it won't make you popular, restricting Facebook can reclaim lost productivity. If your profitability is say 2%, this could be the difference between staying open or closing shop."

Facebook, which logged its 250 millionth user in early July, has been showing tremendous growth. Last week, Nielsen Online reported that people spend more time on Facebook than any on other Web site.

The study also noted that 87.25 million US users visited Facebook from home and work during June, and each of those people spent an average of 4 hours, 39 minutes and 33 seconds on the site during the month.