Cell Phone Use At Work. What's your policy?

[SVLFever]

Hello Square Community,

As many of you know, the cell phone can be distracting at work.   After trying multiple policies about not having phones or limiting use, I finally have landed on "you can't use your phone in public view and any sort of interaction with the phone for more than 15 seconds requires that you go on break".  In general, this has worked well, as we have learned that most of the phone checking by team members was for text messages.

I would prefer that we lock the phones up and take them away, but I know some staff couldn't handle it.  At the same time, in today's world, I prefer that the staff members (who can be in remote locations in our facility) have access to a phone in the event of an emergency.

This has made me wonder, what are others doing.  Is there a policy that you have in place that seems to keep staff members off their phone that is effective?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts.

John

[Sam_400º]

Anyone that's had major phone dependancy hasn't worked for me for very long. 

I kinda take the approach that if there's work to do you're not gonna be on your phone, if we've been really busy and you're taking a minute for a drink and check your phone then it's no big deal. 

I work in a very small area though, so there's no discrete phone use - it's just out there. 

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@SVLFever wrote:

I would prefer that we lock the phones up and take them away, but I know some staff couldn't handle it. 

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The ones that can't handle it are probably the ones who need it most though right? 

[SVLFever]

Thanks for your input @Sam_400º .  I personally agree with you and if we see some excessive use, we take the same stance.   It just seems some of these people are addicted to their screens and think they at we are cutting off an appendage in telling them no.

[rtfulk]

“Our policy on cellphones at work is simple: no phones on the floor. If we see an employee using their phone, we’ll remind them of the rule. Recently we are seeing our older employees trying to sneak around and use their phone more than the younger ones.

[SVLFever]

Yeah I agree @rtfulk  about not seeing the phones on the floor.  If you have employee uniforms, your customers have zero clue if your employee is on break when they see them on the cell phone.   This is why we also mandate that they use it "out of public view". 

Thanks again for sharing your comments.

[SSB_YVR]

I operate under the "As long as your work is getting done" policy.

I have a very small team, and it's just one of those things that, as much as you try to enforce it, you won't beat.
So, as long as my team is getting their work done and it's done satisfactorily, I am happy with my staff to be using their phones or chatting. Hell, we even have a tablet in the kitchen so the crew can watch what they want.

Always out of customer sight though.

[Lovewell]

Love this! Our model isn’t perfect but it works okay. 

we have an ARO box (look it up) it’s basically a phone box that also charges devices! The crew clocks in and puts it in there. 

If there is family emergency happening etc we allow them to keep it on their person if they ask. 

Whoever is the shift lead has their phone on them incase of emergency. 

[BofBArtStudio]

We use Square Team and a separate communication app.  Due to requiring this, our team uses their phones for work.  We do have a policy about personal use.  Our team does a good job of keeping phone use work related when on the floor and on the clock.

[SVLFever]

Thanks @BofBArtStudio for sharing this.  We just added Team Communication to our account and are going to be using this more and more moving forward.   Do you have any issues in getting all your staff to download the app?

[BofBArtStudio]

Downloading the app is part of our onboarding process and we let everyone know when we hire them that there are two apps that they are going to need to install on their phone and one of them is the square team app. Then as soon as I get them on boarded into the system and into payroll, they automatically get an invite to join the square team app and I guide them through downloading it and getting it all set up and then I show them how to use it.

[CareyJo]

We don't have employees so this isn't an issue for us but as a former retail worker, it was always out of sight, usually only on it during breaks unless my boss texted me because I worked a different location than her.  I think it's a respect thing too.  If you respect your employer and you're there to do a job, you're not on your phone.  I would expect that if we had employees they would be required to keep it to a minimum and be working, I wouldn't pay them to sit on their phones.  Emergencies aside.