Talkin’ about my generation: recent university grads and other newcomers to the workforce would consider work hour flexibility and Internet access liberty more important than a fat pay check, a new study shows. The question is: will jobs recruiters re-write employment contracts to reflect this new trend?

According to Clearswift, the firm that commissioned the study, one in five of the twenty-somethings they spoke to would turn down a high-paying job if it didn’t allow for full access to email, social media, and other ‘work-killers’ during office hours. That’s a big slap in the face. This finding comes as another new study shows 62 percent of all employees thinking they these workplace liberties should be codified as workers’ rights, the Wall Street Journal reports, saying this new generation of workers prefer “informal workplaces, dislike imposing strict rules.”

So why then do so many firms still ban Facebook, Twitter, et al, at work?

Well, we understand in part the argument that unfettered access to the Net and social networks can distract people from working, especially Monday mornings. Secondly, network security is at risk when employees start checking out potentially NSFW web material.

But the essence of accessing traditionally viewed personal Internet material may be necessary and inevitable for a successful company if it is too adapt to the Web 2.0 world. We here at SMI and at our parent company, Custom Communication, are always thinking of new ways of using the latest collaborative technologies to boost sales and brand presence.

The most enlightened companies, such as McDonald’s, are making social media an explicit job skill in perfecting the sales and marketing and customer service channels. The social media chiefs are essentially in charge of mobilizing and connecting employees through social media in order to both improve internal communication and help centralize the brand message to potential consumers.

Of course, as mentioned in almost every quoted article in this piece, employees and employers must find a balance between liberty and rules. But in doing so managers must never undervalue the culture and lifestyle of the employees who are willing to work after-hours for more physical and digital mobility.

Being part of this “Generation Standby,” I can personally attest that the foundations of my approach to work isn’t with the understanding that I’m actually doing work at any particular time or place, (or even realizing that I’m actually doing work in the first place). I am always working and I am always living with the idea that I am always being a productive member of the ever more interconnected social/work world we live in. Perhaps some managers might view this as wasting time in the office. To me, it’s the definition of productive time well-spent.

Editor’s Note: Want to learn more about social media best practice? Join our LinkedIn Group and enjoy a great discount on attending the Social Media Conference, June 22.