Promoting a social working environment as an employee benefit could improve staff engagement and boost commitment to employers.
A survey of more than 1,000 office workers by employee benefits provider You at Work found that blurring the boundary between work and play can have a positive effect on staff.
The Social colleagues study found that just over three-quarters (76%) of respondents aged 16-to-24 years said they are less likely to leave an organisation in which staff are encouraged to socialise, while 80% of employees say they work harder when they get along with their colleagues.
One in four UK employees now use online networks to interact with colleagues. Almost half of this group (43%) use external sites such as Facebook.
