A few useful tips to create cell phone policy in the workplace. The menace of mobile phones has forced the management to create cell phone policy to curb the unproductivity in the workplace.

Usage of the smartphone has become ubiquitous in this past decade. But its excessive use at work can cause managers to pull their hair out in frustration. If employees are always on their mobile phones at work, it can have many adverse effects, including:

• Impacting productivity and performance of the employee.
• Irritating co-workers and annoy customers.
• Making acclaimed actors get out of the character and berate members of the audience mid-performance!

The best way to tackle this problem is to have a clear cell phone policy in place, which sets out all the rules regarding the permitted use of mobiles phones in the workspace. Below are the top things you need to consider.

What are the best ways to create cell phone policy at work?

• Restrict when mobile phones can be used

You may wish to limit the use of cell phones to rest breaks or lunch or to deal with any emergency that cannot wait till the day ends.

You should also consider any health and safety issues. For example, if your employees are operating heavy or dangerous machinery, you should not let them use their cell phones as this could lead to severe injuries or accidents.

If your employees are in a retail or customer-facing role, you should tell them to switch off their phones to avoid client complaints. It can be annoying if you want to ask a question or waiting to pay, and you see a worker just staring at his cell phone and ignoring the surroundings.

• Keep the noise down

Having cell phones on loud or vibrate mode will alert the employee of a message or call. It can distract him. Therefore, you should emphasise to employees that cell phones should be kept on silent mode or they should switch them off during the working day. It will also help reduce the noise from the cell phone affecting other employees’ concentration.

• Decide where mobile phones should be kept.

You should have rules on whether your employees allowed to keep their mobile phone inside their pocket or on their desk, or whether they should leave them in a staff room, locker room, or space where they can store their belongings.

• Leave the room to make a call

If any of your employees need to make a personal call, you should encourage them to do it in a quiet area to avoid disturbing other employees.

• Turn off cell phones during the meetings

Inform all your employees that they are not allowed to use mobiles in meetings as it can disturb the flow of the meeting. If it is a team meeting, there is nothing worse than a person focusing on their cell phone and not paying attention to the most important topics of the day.

• Take care when driving

For any employee that drive as part of their work duty, you must ensure they realise not make or receive calls while driving. They should turn it off and make all calls go to voicemail. Alternatively, if there is any passenger, they can answer or make calls on their behalf. If they do need to use their cell phone, they should pull over and stop in a safe place, switch off the engine to make or receive the phone call.

Reiterate that they must obey this legal duty; or else, they may end up facing disciplinary proceedings. If they frequently breach this policy, it may result in dismissal.

You should also ensure that work practices do not pressurise staff to use their cell while driving. And any unsafe driving practices are challenged.

 

Learn more about cell phones at work and driving

• Do not allow misuse

If you do provide your employees with a mobile phone to perform their duties, ensure that it is the property of the company. It can be withdrawn or must be returned when their employment period ends. If you feel like any employee is misusing their cell phone by making too many personal calls, you can surely ask them to meet the costs of the non-business related calls.

• Tell your employees the rules

Ensure that you discuss the rules to employees. You can get your team to sign a form clearly stating that they have read and understood every policy of the company. Ensure the policy is easily accessible to them.

• Enforce the policy about cell phones at work

Having rules is great, but you should also ensure that you enforce them. If you continuously let employees sent quick text here and there, it will send out the wrong message. They will think that, despite the policy, they can use their phone as they wish.

• Be fair and consistent

Make sure you apply the policy fairly and consistently. It is to avoid employee concerns, a negative impact on team morale and discrimination claims. Do not let off your best work friend for being glued to their mobile phone, but discipline the worker you don’t have much in common with. An Employment Tribunal would likely find this unfair and potentially discriminatory.

In the age of the cell phone, we understand how vital it is to have our own mobile device. But, it is very easy to become addicted and lose productivity. We hope these tips will aid you in building your own mobile device policy.