Caught Facebooking or Twittering At Work; Don’t Worry!

Turns out that Facebooking or Twittering may help your productivity at work.  Reuters is reporting a study from the University of Melbourne in Australia found short bursts of ‘leisure’ surfing can increase productivity by as much as 9% in a given day over someone who doesn’t engage in ‘WILB’ (Work Internet Leisure Browsing).

“People need to zone out for a bit to get back their concentration,” says study author Brent on the university’s website.

“Short and unobtrusive breaks, such as a quick surf of the Internet, enables the mind to rest itself, leading to a higher total net concentration for a days’ work, and as a result, increased productivity,” he said.

This research hints that companies who spends tens of thousands to block sites like YouTube and Facebook may also be spending money to cut their own productivity.  Facebook itself is a shining example of a ‘laid back’ lesiure workplace.

Employees at Facebook headquarters in Palo Alto, CA cruise around the hardwood floors on scooters, sit on large medicine balls instead of chairs and web designers play foosball as their co-workers code the next big thing just feet away.  Lesley Stahl of CBS News describes it more like a dorm room rather than a corporate headquarters for a multi-millon dollar company.  Zuckerberg even provides free laundry and food for his employees.

I’m a firm believer in providing stress relief avenues for your employees at the workplace.  Often times, employees spend more time at work than at home.  A stressful employee is not a happy employee nor productive.  Something I will be looking for when I hit the job market!

What does your employer offer you to relieve stress and keep you happy and productive while at work?  I courage your comments below!