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It is important that IT managers give staff enough freedom online to keep them motivated, one expert has said.

Cranfield School of Management advised firms to assess an employee's contribution and value to the firm and not risk losing a valuable employee to a "draconian rule that forbade Facebook".

Toby Thompson, a networked learning executive at the institute, said that employers should strike the right balance between motivating and avoiding unnecessary distractions that could damage business.

"For a lot of people a large part of who they are, their identity if you like, is defined by the internet and their activities on it. Restricting access to the internet takes that portion of their identity away from [them]," he added.

Students who enjoy an occasional online break while working on placements could be interested to hear that more IT freedom is being recommended to businesses.

A new PopCap Games report claims the current trend towards banning personal internet use in the workplace could cost business nationwide up to £4 billion every year due to a decline in staff productivity.

The report found that employees who take a ten-minute online break during the day would refocus their mind and suffer from a reduced level of stress.

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