Employees & Mobile Phones

[party_pete]

Just wondered how others coped with their employees using mobile phones during working hours?

It absolutely makes me mad with texting, making & receiving calls when they should be doing what they are paid for.

This is something that is nearly pushing me over the edge!

If anyone has any ideas or solutions how I can go about stopping this, it would be appreciated.

[george]

Annoying when someone reads an incoming text when you are talking to them... ...sorry Pete don't help you much I know, but just had to add that.

[Duncan Allan]

This used to rile me when I had customers walk into the shop with their phones glued to their ears and waltz out without stopping the call. Or having made the sale only to lose it when they got a call and they'd go out to take it. So I can totally empathise with you.

You need to have it as part of your employment contract that make it clear that mobile calls or texts are made and received during breaks and lunch unless it's an emergency. That's fine for new contracts but existing staff will have to be advised by memo or better still at a staff meeting. Raise the subject and explain calmly why it isn't appropriate and ask for them to tone it down. If that doesn't work then you'll have to bite the bullet and make it a new working practise issued by memo. Some will complain or even leave but then you'll have people who are working.

It's strange to think we used to complain about them making call at our expense using our phone lines but now they pay for it themselves we still have complaints! But a valid issue that needs to be addressed.

Duncan

[fleetwood]

Hi Peter

You have to balance the needs of the business, with being reasonable to staff, but at the end of the day, your the boss - you make the rules!

You need to have clearly stated rules (written is best, but not always practical), which include the stipulation that mobile phones are not to be switched on during work time (and not allowed on the shop floor if you have a retail environment - although be careful that if you say that phones should not be carried, that you provide a safe place for them to be stored!).

It is not enough to state 'you should not send and receive calls during work time', you should stipulate that phones should be switched off.

You need to balance this with making sure that there are sufficient work breaks (usually morning and afternoon breaks, plus a formal lunch break), where staff can make calls and receive (albeit, you may wish to restrict where they make and receive calls eg. not in areas where your customers are).

If you don't have formal breaks, then it is very difficult (and unreasonable) to expect your staff never to make and receive calls.

You also need to practice what you preach, and try not to swan around on your own phone on the shop/work floor.

One of the hardest things in a small business is keeping the distinction that the staff are your employess, and not your mates.

Martin

[fleetwood]

Annoying when someone reads an incoming text when you are talking to them

George
I often have to point that out to my wife!!!
Martin

[party_pete]

Thanks for the opinions.

Will try to impliment some changes asap.

[jont]

I think with any size of company it needs to work on a fair use policy... certainly banning them from the shop floor is essential and possibly even going so far as asking staff to use a quiet and sensible ring-tone around the office. I have someone who had the "A Team" intro (the talking part) set way too loudly .. OK if in a pub but not in a tele-sales room.

Outright bans can affect productivity and staff will try and find a way of circumventing anyway - sneaking outside, extended tea breaks etc.

Try the softly approach to start with and explaining your reasons and monitor it for say a month with the option for outright bans if they don't play ball.

[Luddite]

Does anyone know of a forum like this which is for 'bricks & mortar' retailers?
Nick

[RuralWeb]

You can buy mobile phone jammers!! that would solve your problem.

[jont]

Read a tech report somewhere about nano-paint which can be "tuned" to allow or block specific frequencies.

There is always the old-faithful hammer for when the Crazy Frog just has to go

[Duncan Allan]

A word of warning the it is an offence under the Wireless and Telegraphy Act to jam the signal. There are heafty penalties and a stint in clink with it!

Duncan

[Jan]

One of the hardest things in a small business is keeping the distinction that the staff are your employess, and not your mates.

My staff are my mates ... luckily they don't take the micky though.

When making your policy bear in mind emergency calls, eg: when the school calls to say that little Jimmy has just been sick on the teacher (again).

Regards,

[TraceyHand]

My staff are my mates ... luckily they don't take the micky though.

When making your policy bear in mind emergency calls, eg: when the school calls to say that little Jimmy has just been sick on the teacher (again).

Regards,

but, under those circumstances, surely the school should have a work contact number (i.e a workplace number as opposed to a mobile number) where parents/employees can be reached in case of such an emergency?

[Duncan Allan]

Whilst the schools will have a land line to call mobiles are more common a contact point as it would mean the parent would be conceivably (though unreasonably IMO) contactable at anytime!
Another reason is that with liability and an increasing litigious society the schools would want to be seen making contact to avoid later liability.

Duncan

[Jan]

I think it depends on the school, my kids school takes both.

Regards,