How a Cell Phone Policy Will Make Your Employees More Productive

Our cell phones have changed our lives

Our cell phones have become a way of life for each one of us. We have become so accustomed to keeping connected with people we love that we want to be available for them every moment, even when we are at work. It’s good to be connected. We never know when there will be an emergency with someone we love, and we want to know about it so we can help immediately. However, our dependence on cell phones can affect our productivity at work and cause others to be distracted when our phone rings or when we talk or text on it.

 Here are some stats to consider

According to a survey from the staffing firm, OfficeTeam, which was posted on fortune.com on July 25, 2017, workers spend an average of 56 minutes of their work day on their cell phones for personal reasons. The employees who participated in this study said that most of their time on their cell phones was spent doing personal email and social media with time also spent on sports sites, mobile gaming, and online shopping.

According to the U. S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average hourly rate was $24.57 in 2015. Let’s do the math. Five hours per week times the average hourly rate of $24.57 equals $122.85 per week or $6,388.20 taxable dollars per year of lost production. A wage of $8.00 per hour, which is closer to the federal minimum wage, would result in $2,080 per year of lost production dollars. We are looking at lost productivity for one employee in these calculations. The lost productivity dollars will add up for additional employees using cell phones at work for personal use. Lost productivity can also result in overtime.

 Where Do We Start?

The first step to set up guidelines for cell phone usage is to put together a team of managers from the business and from Human Resources. It’s a good idea to have legal counsel involved even if you aren’t in a regulated business like healthcare or financial services. IT might want to be involved since cell phone technology is rapidly changing and your employees’ phones may be used for company business at some point. Once the team is formed, it is time to determine the cell phone issues and the best procedures to resolve them. Here are just a few reasons why a business will need a cell phone policy.

·        Do employees have their cell phones in their work areas where they are glancing back and forth at their phones throughout the work day?

·        Are employees texting when they are working on projects with deadlines?

·        Is the work environment noisy because employees are talking on their cell phones?

·        Are production employees using cell phones in manufacturing areas where accidents can happen?

·        Are people talking and texting on cell phones during meetings?

Cell Phone Policy Procedures

·        Have clear instructions on when and where cell phones can be used in the work place.

·        Have meetings and training on new rules for cell phone use.

·        Have employees sign the new policy procedures.

·        The policy will express disciplinary action will be taken if the rules are not followed.

·        Allow employees to use their phones if they are expecting a call that could be considered an emergency. Make some exceptions.

·        Set cell phone usage to be during break times.

·        Ask employees to silence their phones and let calls go to voice mail during meetings.

·        Put “No cell phones” signs in work areas where accidents can happen.

Transitioning through the process

Help your employees transition through the new cell phone changes by listening to their concerns. Change can be hard for each of us, but change can be good, too. To be part of the team, we need to learn how to change to new procedures so our employer has a greater opportunity to keep us employed.