Workers should be given time to use social networking websites such as Facebook in their office, according to Britain's TUC union. The union organisation said employers were within their rights to stop staff using the sites during the day, but believed that a total ban would be an "over reaction."
Workers should be trusted to take time off during their lunch break to contact friends via Facebook or other sites such as MySpace and Bebo, said the TUC.
General secretary Brendan Barber said: "Simply cracking down on use of new web tools like Facebook is not a sensible solution to a problem, which is only going to get bigger.
"It's unreasonable for employers to try to stop their staff from having a life outside work, just because they can't get their heads around the technology.
"Better to invest a little time in working out sensible conduct guidelines, so that there don't need to be any nasty surprises for staff or employers."
The TUC said a number of firms had disciplined staff for mis-use of the internet but warned that more cases will follow unless companies took "sensible precautions".
Peter Mooney, of Employment Law Advisory Services, branded the TUC's call as "nonsense" and said access to the internet at work should be for legitimate business purposes only.
"Why should employers pay for the privilege of allowing their employees to access Facebook, MySpace or Bebo, from work computers whether in an employee's lunchtime or not? The lunch break may not be a paid break but there is still a cost.
"As we all know, lunchtime spreads into work time — so where do you draw the line? Employers do not prevent employees from having a life outside work, which means after work; when employees are quite free to access all the websites they wish from their own computers.
"Access to the internet at work should be for legitimate business purposes only on behalf of the employer, not an extension of playtime. To suggest that Facebook is a 'tool' is not realistic."