A new study has highlighted just how addicted we are to social networking sites – with almost half of people who use MySpace and Facebook at work saying they would turn down a job if these sites were blocked. It’s a blow for employers who risk losing valuable staff to other companies who take a more relaxed approach to social networking online during office hours, say Australian law firm Deacons who carried out the study. The national study, surveying 700 employees, found that most of those people questioned thought that by allowing staff to access these sites it showed trust in employees, gave people a needed break from their jobs and enabled them to improve their networking with their colleagues, customers and suppliers. Presently, according to the study, 20 per cent of respondents are prevented from accessing social networking sites, while 57 per cent say their employers allowed it.

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