Cell Phones in workplace

goneal · March 2004

We are wanting to amend our Staff Policy Manual to prohibit personal cell phones in the office during working hours. All staff have access to our office phone system and personal emergency calls, if any, are to be handled through our office phone system. There will be "zero tolerance".

Has anyone encountered this type situation, and if so, do you have a written policy?

Thanks for your suggestions.

Peyton Irby MS · March 2004

you may legally prohibit personal cell phone usage. as you are probably are aware, some employers have had difficulty enforcing such a policy.
Peyton Irby
Editor, Mississippi Employment Law Letter
Watkins Ludlam Winter & Stennis, P.A.
(601) 949-4810
[email]pirby@watkinsludlam.com[/email]

marc · March 2004

We would not even try to limit the use of cell phones. Our Exec Dir and one of our Program Directors could not walk five feet without a cell phone nearby. They will take a phone call during meetings, etc. This is rude behavior and has been commented on many times, however, many of the phone calls are business related dealing with clients having various types of emergencies and crisis'.

The obvious problem is that the rest of the staff feels justified in using these phones at nearly anytime. Those of us that discipline for it or prohibit it in our own meetings, etc. are doing so with very little support. Sad situation.

Balloonman · March 2004

We do not allow personal cell phones on the job sites. We had issues with that. We do not ban them here at the office, it really has not been an issue.
We have disciplined one employee for having a cell phone on the job site.
My $0.02 worth.
DJ The Balloonman

mwild31 · March 2004

Hi goneal - it just so happens that I covered this recently with some new hires. They were balking at the idea of not being able to use their cell phones at work with the typical excuses of:

But what if I had it on vibrate?
But what if I answered quickly to tell them I would call back?
But isn't it better that I have my own phone rather than having the receptionist answer the company phone and then page me?

Bunk! I told them that they are at work & need to be working (what they do on breaks or lunch is their own thing). I told them that the entire idea of having a cell phone at work is ridiculous and it's as if their home phone, with a very long telephone cord, has been brought from their house to work. You wouldn't have your home phone sitting in your work area, so why do you think it's any different? Any how, our policy is very simple:

Cell Phones – are not to be used during working hours – except during your normally scheduled breaks and meal periods.

No one else uses cell phones (except the president as we have our own mobile phone setup within the company).

goneal · March 2004

Thank you so much for your responses.

deniseE · March 2004

One of the other issues that has come up as we were drafting a policy...and I think I found it on this site...are the camera phones...generally...NOT a big deal...but we deal with confidential client info that could lead to misuse if in the wrong hands...we were concerned that camera phones would make "taking" the information too easy....so we're in the process of banning those completely...but generally, cell phone use is not a huge problem...

Pork · March 2004

We allow cell phones in the work place!

PORK

HRratrace · March 2004

I carry my cell phone with me while at work, and I use it for emergencies only. My employer supports this.
What if my child care provider needed to reach me urgently becuase my child was injured? Or what if my husband was in a serious car wreck? This is the quickest and most effective way of reaching me.
Sometimes a business line does not do the trick...the caller gets shuffled from here to there and it's a huge ordeal just trying to track down that employee that is urgently needed.
I see the cell phone being an advantage in this situation...it eliminates having 1/2 of your personnel department search for an employee.

Just my 2 cents...

Pork · March 2004

AND A VERY SMART 2 CENTS WORTH! Cell phones are here to stay and all of us (employers) need to figure out how we can use them to our employer advantage.

We can not let us older managers refuse to come into this century and stick our heads in the sand, the flip cell phone will be run up our other end. I swore, my wife and I would not ever get into the cell phone world. Guess what my wife has one, her father-in-law has one (he is 84), and I have one and I am paying $75.00 $ollars a month for the previlege of being safe "up my tree stand while I am deer hunting". My grand-daughter has two one for "talking" and one for "texing", she pays for neither, her older brother takes care of her. She can "tex" faster than I can type on this computer. She has several conversations on-going at the same time and never messes any transmission. The communication age is here and we best not try to go backwards against the tide or we will fail in the end!

and that is my pigs worth!

PORK

amwkim · March 2004

We actually have a policy stating that PERSONAL use of cell phones is limited to breaks and lunch. Use of personal cell phones during company time will result in disciplinary action up to and including termination!!

Sounds extreme, but necessary.

Pork · March 2004

[font size="1" color="#FF0000"]LAST EDITED ON 03-05-04 AT 01:13PM (CST)[/font][br][br]AMWKIM: "Yahoo" and there you go sticking one's head in the sand. Your policy is not realistic and supportive of the ee and their current life style. Reconsider your level of punishment for this archaic reasoning.

Ok, you don't want them using company time for social and personal issues!

If my cell phone goes off during business hours, will you fire me if I answer the phone only to find out your house is on fire and no one could get through the switch board with all the push this number and that menu only to make a wrong press and hear a calm "goodbye".

I believe strongly in our people resources, and when we reach out to them, they will respond very favorably to a company that is "cool" and in the know. You can bet the individual screwing up the cell phone previlege for the rest of the company should be individually dealt discipline and out the door when that is the appropriate course of action.

Eat more pork and all will be good!

PORK

Whatever · March 2004

We do not allow the use of cell phones during working hours. We do allow for necessary personal calls (the ones from kids who just got home from school etc)on our telephone system.
Personally, (and yes I have cell phone), I don't understand what the big deal is about turning off a cell phone.

Cell Phones in workplace

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