There’s a growing technical divide in some workplaces in which older bosses are denying younger employees online access to their personal e-mail and social networking accounts. Experts are debating the proper balance, saying that the time spent online is no different than older workers’ time spent around a water cooler or making personal phone calls. Some are wondering: Could companies take a different approach, without compromising security or workplace efficiency, that allows at least some online access?

Younger workers are less likely to fit the traditional 9-to-5 work mode and are willing to put in time after hours in exchange for flexibility, including online time. So, some experts argue, why not embrace that working style when possible, rather than fight it?

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