Earlier this week we reported how a new survey has revealed that more than half of young professionals won’t work at a company that restricts the use of social media in the office.

Well, it appears that a lot of graduates will soon be joining the dole queue, as new data from UK job site Reed suggests that just one in three UK employees access platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn at work, and a heady two-thirds believe access should be banned altogether.

Reed surveyed the social networking habits of more than 4,000 employees.

Key takeaways:

• Only 33% social network in the office – as you might expect, marketers (44%) and IT workers (43%) are the most likely to use these platforms at work
• Facebook is the most popular choice (45%), ahead of LinkedIn (20%), leading Twitter by over 3:1 (14%)
• While 32% of employees said their company had no blocking or policy for social media use at work, 28% said it was completely banned
• 64% access social media at work via their mobile device
• 2 out of 3 people believe companies are right to ban social media in the workplace

Bottom line? Frowning upon or outright banning social media in the office might seem like a smart move for a lot of organizations, but it’s nearly always a misstep, and one that is largely born from ignorance.  No company likes the idea that their employees are wasting time, but workplace use of social media has been shown to increase productivity by 9%, inasmuch as it allows for the exchange and discussion of ideas, research and collaboration.

The good news? If social networking is blocked for you at work, YOU can make a difference. And while it might be a good idea to put together a (brief) social media rulebook, that’s not the most important step – simply educate your boss.

(Source: Reed. Top image credit: Arcady via Shutterstock.)