Bosses who ban: Out of touch and now out of control

The thought police of the old order are being out-thought by digital natives.

This from T-mobile is a fantastic example. Over a quarter of the UK workforce, banned from using the internet by ludicrous blanket bans, are turning to the mobile internet.

You can't stop an idea.

There are employers who are keen to prevent their staff from connecting out of some extraordinary idea that they'll improve productivity as a result.

I'm guessing they are the ones that are heading out of business?

Restrictions, controls, limitations - they don't exactly inspire a better way of working, a break-through idea...

Cutting people off from tools which will improve their work (wot no google?) blogs about their industry, rss feeds and social networks is not only seriously unproductive - it's also - with the advent of mobile internet - impossible.

A generation brought up in constantly connected communities ain't going to put up with it. Create a social vacuum for Generation C and they WILL fill it.

T-mobile's findings, reported on Online Recruitment revealed 23% of employees were subject to company bans on social networking websites. 11% are banned from using web-based email and
7% from using Google.

Nearly half of the employees surveyed (48%) use their mobile phone to access the Internet at work; from downloading music to buying groceries online. In other words - even when you aren't banned from using fixed line internet - you'll still turn to mobile internet for the personal stuff.

In extreme cases they hide in the loos in order to get their online fix. They'd better watch out for the company webcam!