Netflix Banned At Procter & Gamble, Other Large Companies

Looks like there won't be any more clowning around at Procter & Gamble.

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the mega manufacturing company has blocked employee access to the music-streaming website Pandora and the video-streaming site Netflix in an effort to keep its workers focused and save itself some precious bandwidth.

“It’s a worldwide phenomenon,” P&G spokesman Paul Fox told the Cincinnati Enquirer. “As P&G drives toward end-to-end digitization of our business, ensuring bandwidth capacity within our networks is a high priority.” (Fox isn't kidding about how serious P&G's digital shift is. The company cut 5,700 jobs this past February, reports Business Insider.)

And given that employees were using company computers to listen to 4,000 hours of music on Pandora and download more than 50,000 YouTube videos daily, it doesn't come as much of a surprise that Procter & Gamble has finally decided to start blocking some sites. However, YouTube and Facebook are off the hook because the company uses those sites for marketing and communication. In addition, Ad Age reports that sites like Spotify, Hulu, and Vudu are still available to P&G employees.

Many large companies have moved to save bandwidth and up productivity by clamping down on employees' web habits and blocking popular leisure sites. Technology staffing and recruiting firm Modis, for example, has restricted Netflix, YouTube and Pandora at its own offices and is currently dealing with bandwidth problems experienced by some of its customers.

"Clients say they keep adding servers and still don't have enough [bandwidth]," Modis President Jack Cullen told USA Today. "People leave Pandora open and don't even think about it."

In addition to the usual bandwidth problems that come with YouTube, Pandora, and Netflix, some companies also have to deal with increased bandwidth use during sports events like the World Cup or March Madness.

According to a survey released by Modis this past March, increased video streaming during the NCAA Men's Division I basketball championship greatly slows connection speeds and, in 34 percent of cases, causes the network to crash. In addition, more than two-thirds of the 500 IT staffers surveyed responded that they take steps to "either lessen or block the streaming of non-work content" during the tournament.

Are you allowed to access sites like YouTube, Facebook, and Pandora while you're at work? Let us know in the comments! And make sure to flip through the slideshow below to check out which top websites were most commonly blocked by businesses in 2010.

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Comments

[Chris Poland]

11:19 AM on 12/17/2012

It makes sense that they would limit it for bandwidth reasons. Most people that I work with listen to music in some capacity while working, whether it be on their mp3 player or via a site like Pandora or Rhapsody. Everyone I work with is able to listen to music and complete their work. I don't really see anyone watching Netflix but I'd guess they'd probably just listen to it while working, just like having a TV on at home while working (and most people can work or clean with that or the radio on at home). Pretending like just as work can't get done with music on sounds like the hallmark of bad management. Personally, if one of my employees wants to listen to their MP3 player for instance, and their work quality stays the same and they meet expectations, they good for them. My observation is that by allowing this (with most people), their morale is increased and they are more engaged throughout the day instead of burnt out. I understand, not everyone will fall into this category but that's why you can't manage with a one shoe fits all mentality.

[tim0202]

03:41 PM on 04/05/2012

this is not news...my company has been blocking ALL video and music sites since 2007.

[AMCD]

07:40 PM on 04/05/2012

No kidding. When I started with my current company I had to fill out a form just to get internet access. And my job relies heavily on having internet access. Can't even look up the Lotto numbers because that has to do with gambling.

That P&G has just got around to doing this just shows me what a poorly run company it is. The IT staff there have been sleeping on the job, or watching netflix...

[bangagong]

09:13 AM on 04/06/2012

Or, perhaps P&G's run well enough that the vast majority of it's employees simply don't think of amusing themselves at their computers.

[galvestonguy68]

12:55 PM on 04/05/2012

netflix is unlikely to be work related. As a computer professional, I can tell you that youtube has way too many tutorials to block. I routinely direct people to youtube for solutions to problems. As for pandora, study after study shows that background music improves productivity. Offices once upon a time had radios and everyone listened to the radio but there were copyright concerns and so that practice stopped.

[bamtex]

09:35 AM on 04/05/2012

I don't think any sites are blocked at my place of work (Brian, if you're reading this, please don't block any!). But then again, where I work, if we have a busy day, there's no time to even eat lunch. But the big boss understands that on a slow day, we can relax a little and have personal entertainment. It keeps us motivated to stay in case something comes up, and everybody loves the boss!

[ResearchtheFacts]

09:34 PM on 04/04/2012

Why would you be watching Netflix at work? Any employer paying someone to, you know "work" really has been quite tolerant if their employees were watching Netflix on the job. Hey, they are lucky they still have a job. Wow, shopping is one thing but watching movies or TV shows is something brazen.

[K Guru]

11:16 PM on 04/04/2012

They might have been using it during lunch hour which usually is unpaid time.

[ResearchtheFacts]

12:08 AM on 04/05/2012

Not if you are sucking up my juice. Let's see my electricity and bill, computers, internet access, network security--should I go on?

[GaryNOVA]

05:16 AM on 04/05/2012

But what if I need to watch 'Breaking Bad'? My homelife is very busy and I really don't have the time. Work is the perfect break in the day to catch up on my shows.

[sensimilla]

08:04 PM on 04/04/2012

P&G blocked ALL streaming sites, not just pandora and netflix. Nice misleading headline HP...

[tim0202]

03:43 PM on 04/05/2012

I agree. HP has too many misleading headlines. It's like HP is in race to the bottom with CNN.

[nobodyzhome]

07:49 PM on 04/04/2012

Pathetic that people think they should be allowed to watch Netflix while working.
There's no excuse. Period. You don't wanna be there working, let someone else have your job.

[vonbek]

11:20 PM on 04/04/2012

no kidding I can understand music, but I just brought cd's in to work and ripped them while I listened to them while I worked. I never would of thought of using my company's bandwith to stream or download music or video.

[planetjeffy]

07:37 PM on 04/04/2012

any 12 yr old kid will show you how to access a blocked site
3 of many ways - anonymous proxy, google cache or google translate

[GaryNOVA]

05:09 AM on 04/05/2012

They also moniter web traffic. Will that same 12 yearold represent me when I get caught?

[planetjeffy]

05:47 PM on 04/05/2012

anonymous proxies will take care of that...

[BarryWolk]

05:42 PM on 04/04/2012

How can you accept a paycheck to work at an office and sit there and watch a full length movie on Netflix?!?

WAZZUPWIDAT?

[Chris Poland]

11:15 AM on 12/17/2012

Most people probably have it on and listen to it while working. Some people function better with background noise. I'm guessing you're a can only handle one task kinda guy.

[weareallzombies]

05:30 PM on 04/04/2012

Why is this even a news article? Plenty of companies ban certain websites at work. There is no controversy here.

[MrFantasyHimself]

05:30 PM on 04/04/2012

Just don't block my HuffPo, Big Brother!! :)

[jgeurian21]

05:00 PM on 04/04/2012

Same with my company. Can't access Netflix, Hulu, Facebook and a slew of others. Although I wouldn't know the reason why employees would need access to such sites in the first place.

[bliss infinite]

06:18 PM on 04/04/2012

To kill time at work 'cause work is boring.

[ghee99]

04:19 PM on 04/04/2012

no big deal, just listen to your streaming music or watch your movies on your android or iphone (if you work t one of these companies)

you can even buy a $10 cable and connect your smartphone to your work monitor, to see the movies on a larger screen.

ha, i'd love to see my boss try to stop me from watching what i want at work.

i'd tell him, as long as i do my job, its none of your business, now move along.

[jcvd]

02:57 PM on 04/05/2012

You must have a lot of job security. I would fire you for telling me what you do at work isn't my business.

[ghee99]

05:15 PM on 04/05/2012

well, its a mixture of job security based on the fact that they know i am great at what i do

and the fact that i am not all submissive to my bosses

i just do my thing, my way

(although in the interest of the work, and as i'm a social person, i am collaborative and supportive of those i work with)

still, i don't worry or fret over "will they fire me?"

i just do my thing, if they fire me, i'll just get to work and find another job.

(which, in regard, to the times i've been out of work, i always do)

[rigslip]

04:19 PM on 04/04/2012

Big corporations are such slave drivers. Next, they'll actually expect people to do something at work that might produce revenue. Egads

[HuffPundit]

04:12 PM on 04/04/2012

While I understand P&G's motivation in doing this, it is almost guaranteed that it will not increase worker productivity. Whatever we resist, persists....