Home topics workplace hr-and-staff Advice Social Media Staff Advice Employers beware, your staff could be addicted to Facebook Lorna Brett April 5, 2012 A survey of local internet users has given employers reason for concern, with 30 percent reportedly checking Facebook five or more times a day. But a blanket social media ban might not be the right answer for every business. The Canstar Blue survey, undertaken following aUS report which claiming that social networking sites can be more addictive than alcohol and cigarettes, found females were only slightly more likely to obsess over their Facebook account than men, with 29 percent logging in five or more times a day, compared with 25 percent of males. Unsurprisingly, Generation Y was found to be most addicted to Facebook, with a high 56 percent excessively attached to their Facebook account compared, compared to 39 percent of Generation X-ers and a modest 13 percent of baby boomer respondents. “There are many positive aspects to Facebook use, including an increased sense of community through contact with family, friends and prospective new friends,” Canstar Blue manager Rebecca Logan said. Facebook use becomes a problem however, when it becomes so excessive that it eats into work commitments and impacts on an employees productivity levels. According to EnBox director Hamish Anderson, though some employers might see these figures as evidence for the need to implement a blanket staff social media ban, there are a number of shortcomings to this approach: Some users may require access to social