Some companies block their employees from using social media networks and websites such as Facebook.

Sample Question: Do you think managers should trust employees to use time wisely, or do you think it is smart of companies to block access to some sites? Provide reasons and examples to support your opinion.


We can find many reports and studies about how many much time spend people spend using social media networks in their jobs. Sometimes this these reports show big (<em>or</em> significant) figures and obviously, whatever some companies could (<em>or</em> might) think that the best way to resolve it is by blocking Facebook and other websites.

Actually it is a complicated question to answer, but it is my opinion that companies should be more confident (<em>or</em> trustworthy) with employees. We know that some employees will spend time using social media networks in on their job computers. However, I think employees should feel a great and flexible atmosphere (<em>or</em> a pleasant, flexible atmosphere) and not a dictatorial one in order to be more productive.

Additionally, we have to think that a lot of employees have smartphones, because of that it doesn't seem a good idea to block websites in job computers because they will use their smartphones to check Facebook or another site and they will spend waste time (<em>or</em> they will spend time doing it). I think it’s like to try trying to put doors on the countryside*.

On the other hand, from since many years ago workers spend have spent time smoking. And in my country you have to go outside because you cannot smoke inside the building. So what I mean is, always employees always spent waste time in their jobs.
In summary, I think it is better if you set goals between for your employees as a strategy to work more productively.

*I did a literal translation from a Spanish idiomatic expression. Maybe the best English expression would be “to try to stem the tide” (correct, you could say "it's like trying to stem the tide". Another similar idiom is "there's no point in locking the stable door after the horse has bolted", in other words it is useless to lock the door of a stable after the horse that was in it has already run away)

Very good Moisés. My corrections are in red and my suggestions to sound more natural are in blue/grey.

To spend/waste time - To spend time is to pass an amount of time doing something, for example "employees always spend time <em>doing social activities</em> in their jobs".

To waste time is to spend some time in an unproductive way, for example ""employees always waste time in their jobs".

"from many years ago workers spend time smoking" - Another way to say this is "for years workers have spent time smoking"