LONDON (AFP) — Employers should allow workers to use the social networking site Facebook during their lunchbreaks, the Trades Union Congress (TUC) said Thursday.
The TUC argues that whilst employers are completely within their rights to forbid staff from using popular social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace or Bebo in work time, a total ban would be "something of an over-reaction".
Instead, staff should be trusted to spend a few minutes of their lunchbreak 'poking' their friends or making plans for outside work.
"We believe that good employers should consider allowing their staff personal use of the internet in general at the workplace, during break times, provided this is used responsibly and doesn?t interfere with work or could compromise the employer?s reputation," the union suggests in its latest publication 'Facing up to Facebook'.
General Secretary Brendan Barber said: "Simply cracking down on use of new web tools like Facebook is not a sensible solution to a problem, which is only going to get bigger.
"It's unreasonable for employers to try to stop their staff from having a life outside work, just because they can't get their heads around the technology.
"Better to invest a little time in working out sensible conduct guidelines, so that there don't need to be any nasty surprises for staff or employers."
The TUC also warned employers not be tempted to check out the profiles of job applicants on Facebook.
"As only a minority of potential recruits will have public profiles on social networks, using information from this source can give an unfair advantage or disadvantage to certain candidates," the union said.
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