Melbourne, Apr 16 : Bosses who block access to MySpace and Facebook in the office run the risk of losing valuable staff to other companies, says a new Australian study.

According to the study by Australian law firm Deacons, almost half of those who use MySpace and Facebook during work hours say they would refuse a job where they were not allowed access to social networking sites.

"Younger employees are the ones who use social networking sites and it's these people organisations are trying to attract," News.com.au quoted Nick Abrahams, head of Deacons' technology, media and telecommunications law practice, as saying.

The national study, which surveyed 700 workers, found most respondents thought organisations could benefit from allowing access to social networking sites because it showed trust in employees, it gave people a break from day to day work and allowed them to better network with other employees, customers and suppliers.

Employers needed to weigh up the risks of allowing access with the risks of not allowing it, Abrahams said.

The study found 62 per cent of respondents had access to the Internet from work.

Fourteen per cent of those said they used the Internet to access social networking sites at work.

Usage was significantly higher among younger workers, with 32 per cent of 16-24 year olds and 23 per cent of 25-34 year olds reporting frequent or occasional use.

Twenty per cent said their employer-blocked access to social networking sites, while 57 per cent said their employer allowed it.

ANI