Personal mobile devices act as constant distractions in our lives: mothers texting while at the park with the kids, teens falling asleep with their mobiles in hand, the current advertising campaigns against texting and driving. But how do we feel about personal mobile device use when it occurs on the job? It is not uncommon to hear the dinging of incoming messages from a co-worker's cell phone while they are at their desk or to see employees sending texts to friends about post work social plans.
For some businesses, personal use of mobile devices is forbidden while other companies accept moderate levels of usage. Apart from situations where employees are expected to blog/tweet/ or update work related activities to their personal set of contacts, one thing is certain, personal cell phone use is a distraction and negatively affects work productivity. Ultimately, inappropriate use of mobile devices is a waste of company time and money. A healthy solution for any business is to establish clear expectations of personal mobile device use focusing on safety, security and privacy.
It is possible to find samples of policies online but a decent policy would include some or all of the following items. Start by setting limits-when is it acceptable to use a personal mobile and under what conditions? Provide examples. Establish respectful rules on office etiquette such as turning all phone ringers to vibrate while in the office. It is also a good idea to ask staff to leave mobiles in their purses or jackets during meetings so not to be distracted during collaborative time together.
Include a policy clause to address liability issues if employees use their personal devices for work and receive a stipend to cover the additional business costs for their phone plan. This situation could potentially lead to an employer being sued, for example, if their employee experiences a car accident taking a company call while driving. A written policy should also include mention of expectations of company cell phone use after hours or for long distance calls. Another important piece of any policy is to clearly define the rules of mobile camera use, particularly in businesses where access to personal information and intellectual property needs to be protected.
Finally, make sure to clearly state the repercussions and disciplinary actions that will be taken by management in the case of misuse. A suggestion would be to give a verbal, yet documented, warning for a first offence, a written warning for a second misuse, and suspension without pay for a third violation before final employment termination upon a fourth violation. And finally, review your policy frequently and recognize that one policy may not be suitable for all staff; adapt policies to the positions of your employees if need be. As always, it is prudent to ask legal counsel to review your human resource policies including one on mobile device use.
Until next time, stay in the black and keep coming back.
Jennifer Brandle-McCall is the CEO of the Prince George Chamber of Commerce.
