10 excuses for using Facebook at work
10:18 UK time, Friday, 31 August 2007
Could you justify using Facebook to your boss? Here are some suggestions from our Facebook fan club.
The dividing line between work and play has shrunk in today's workplace and activities once regarded as time-wasting can now be seen as good for business.
So the TUC has urged employers to face up to the realities of the Facebook Age and .
A number of major employers block access to such sites, fearing it will be a drain on productivity. But others, such as Tesco, allow it if employees can make a case for using it for their work.
It is all in the explaining, so we invited the Ö÷²¥´óÐã Magazine Monitor Appreciation group to come up with ingenious excuses on their . Here are 10 of the best (in no particular order):
1. Robin, Glasgow (formerly Edinburgh)
"... but Mr Cameron, you pay me to update your profile, so you can appear to be down with the kids!"
2. Rhys Wynne, Wales
"By browsing Facebook I'm not having a cigarette break, therefore saving thousands of pounds on the company's medical insurance.
3. Rob Holehouse, Sheffield
"I'm researching the competition. Because aren't all businesses, in their own little way, about reaching out to people?"
4. Aine, London
"This is Facebook?? But I searched for www.howtoincreasedepartmentproductivity.com!"
5. Sarah Harrison, Italy
Avon rep: "I thought it was my client list."
6. Janey McDowell
"I am developing shared knowledge and understanding with our customers and potential customers by using a platform which our company/organisation is not fully exploiting..."
7. Ian Dickerson, London
"I'm fulfilling my networking personal objective."
8. Sally Tanner, London
"IT asked me to - I'm testing the firewalls."
9. Kathryn Close, Bristol
"I'm researching consumer opinions of our brands."
10. Pix Mueller
"I'm vetting potential new recruits to the company."
