Employees on Cell Phones

[ProPDF]

So what do you actually do? It's easy to go on here and simply say make a policy and fire the violators but we all know that is not reality. Quite frankly I don't believe most people here would fire an otherwise decent employee over it. What, if anything, have you said to employees that you don't want to fire that has worked?
Phones today are reminding me a bit of smokers of the past that would duck out of work every hour to have a smoke. Or try and work with 1 hand holding a cigarette all day.

https://www.jammer-store.com/gsm-blockers-jammers/

Just make sure you are the only one who has wifi password at the shop and your wifi calling is enabled. Done right you will roll up to the shop and you won't have cell signal but your phone will switch to wifi and operate as it should. Don't give the employee's the wifi password. Every time you will come back they will either be inside working making you money or outside talking their paycheck off.

 

[Gino]

See I'm the designer where I am and production. I'm constantly up and down, plus if the phone rings when the boss is out I need to be able to hear the phone. Headphones are just not an option for me. I do have a mini speaker I bring in when I have lots of production and barely any design, I can just listen to music that way.
Places I used to work, I was a trainer/supervisor and it drove me bonkers when employees would stand around on their phones when they could have been doing other stuff to keep busy. Haha exactly! When Pokémon Go first came out, I can't tell you how many people I saw outside our front doors trip over the curb
People can't walk and text, let alone drive and text.
Just put the phone away on company time. No double standards either. If managers say no phones, the manager can't be on their phone either.

Didn't you just say earlier, what if an emergency call comes through ?? Family comes first. How does your phone or you know it's an emergency or not ?? Unless they have the office phone number, how will that emergency called be answered ?? If so, who all gets the office number ?? What do they consider an emergency ?? Who will determine an emergency call or not ?? Does that mean the office has to know all the details before they decide to have the call go through or not ?? Sounds like this is getting a little involved. Perhaps you could elaborate on the specifics a little more. This is getting interesting now.

I can see it now.... over the warehouse loudspeaker..... Now Hear This......... will Breezy please come to the front office. There is a phone call from your .................... please answer line 3 and then return to your plotting job. Thank you, that is all. Now the whole place shuts up, stops working to discuss what's going on in the life of.... As the Stomach Churns for Breezy.

 

[Breezy85]

Gino Put the phone away if it's for frivolous use.

You're really having fun making fun of me, aren't you? Whatever.

 

[ams]

It's the person, not the phone's that are at fault.

Kind of like it's the person that kills someone and not the gun's fault. Everyone is all like "The guns are killing our kids!" actually no, psycho crazy people are at fault who need to be shot themselves.

 

[ikarasu]

https://www.jammer-store.com/gsm-blockers-jammers/

Just make sure you are the only one who has wifi password at the shop and your wifi calling is enabled. Done right you will roll up to the shop and you won't have cell signal but your phone will switch to wifi and operate as it should. Don't give the employee's the wifi password. Every time you will come back they will either be inside working making you money or outside talking their paycheck off.

These are illegal in USA / Canada, just so you know. Someone could get hurt, and you're blocking 911... Big lawsuit waiting to happen.

https://www.fcc.gov/general/jamming-cell-phones-and-gps-equipment-against-law

Federal law also. So even if you don't think they'll prosecute for jailtime, The fine is huge.

 

[TimToad]

So let me ask. If your cell phone rang right now from an official saying your wife/child was in the hospital after being in a car wreck, you would choose to stay at work rather than rush to be by their side? I'm sorry but I know a job is important, but my family is more important. I wouldn't stay at work if a family member was in any serious condition like that.

I spent lots of time in the restaurant industry where cell phone use was not allowed during work hours. I'd turn it on silent, stick it in my apron and work my shift. I always gave family members the restaurant phone number in case there was a serious emergency, they could contact me on the restaurant number. The only time I would be on my phone is between shifts or on breaks. Same at my current job. I only play music on my phone, but for the most part I only choose to do anything on it on my lunch break. My family has the shop phone number in case there's an emergency.

That being said, I believe cell phone use should not be permitted on work time unless it's an emergency. Even then, just give family members your work number for emergencies and put the phone away and on silent.

The bigger point which most have affirmed and I will further reinforce is moderation and mutual respect. We've had issues with it on nearly all of the same fronts as others and run a casual, friendly business where we play tunes, ball games, news, etc. all at any employee's whim to change with a "no shorts in a bunch" policy about it. Over the course of a day, week, month or year, I or anyone else here gets to pick their listening choice multiple times. We actually turn it into a contest to see who can come up with music nobody has ever heard of. We're not running a slave trade here and want folks to enjoy their day as much as possible until it becomes a distraction from the business at hand.

Our flatbed printer's vacuums make some noise, but not so much that one finds it intolerable or requiring headphones in order to tune it out like our most recently departed employee tried to justify. Everybody here helps cover phone calls, walk ins, etc. and we expect people to be attentive enough to do their fair share of those tasks.

Being a husband/wife company I'm not concerned about emergency calls for ourselves except about a relative or friend living back home. Having received multiple "Tim, its your dad, your step mom has just died suddenly" type calls since moving away from home 30 years ago and as recently as last February, I'd never be dismissive or too regimented about an employee's ability to receive such calls regardless of the device. Open communication and empathy for others are hallmarks of decent, considerate, mutually respectful people and we maintain and value those character traits. Others may not value them or are so misanthropic that it doesn't matter how others feel, but when my mother in law suddenly died while living in Portland, OR, we were on a flight and in Chicago within six hours. Yes, we couldn't have saved her or changed anything, but to be there to help my father in law and wife's siblings cope so quickly was greatly appreciated.

We leave the shop often and I'd hate to be out on an installation with an employee whose parent just died and they didn't find out about it until we returned to the shop hours later because I locked their phone in a box somehow.

I am concerned about distractions, safety issues and outside interests occupying too much of an employee's already compromised attention span.

Talk to your people, spell things out, make sure they understand, reward those who cooperate, get rid of those who don't.

 

[Breezy85]

The bigger point which most have affirmed and I will further reinforce is moderation and mutual respect. We've had issues with it on nearly all of the same fronts as others and run a casual, friendly business where we play tunes, ball games, news, etc. all at any employee's whim to change with a "no shorts in a bunch" policy about it. Over the course of a day, week, month or year, I or anyone else here gets to pick their listening choice multiple times. We actually turn it into a contest to see who can come up with music nobody has ever heard of. We're not running a slave trade here and want folks to enjoy their day as much as possible until it becomes a distraction from the business at hand.

Our flatbed printer's vacuums make some noise, but not so much that one finds it intolerable or requiring headphones in order to tune it out like our most recently departed employee tried to justify. Everybody here helps cover phone calls, walk ins, etc. and we expect people to be attentive enough to do their fair share of those tasks.

Being a husband/wife company I'm not concerned about emergency calls for ourselves except about a relative or friend living back home. Having received multiple "Tim, its your dad, your step mom has just died suddenly" type calls since moving away from home 30 years ago and as recently as last February, I'd never be dismissive or too regimented about an employee's ability to receive such calls regardless of the device. Open communication and empathy for others are hallmarks of decent, considerate, mutually respectful people and we maintain and value those character traits. Others may not value them or are so misanthropic that it doesn't matter how others feel, but when my mother in law suddenly died while living in Portland, OR, we were on a flight and in Chicago within six hours. Yes, we couldn't have saved her or changed anything, but to be there to help my father in law and wife's siblings cope so quickly was greatly appreciated.

We leave the shop often and I'd hate to be out on an installation with an employee whose parent just died and they didn't find out about it until we returned to the shop hours later because I locked their phone in a box somehow.

I am concerned about distractions, safety issues and outside interests occupying too much of an employee's already compromised attention span.

Talk to your people, spell things out, make sure they understand, reward those who cooperate, get rid of those who don't.

Amen to this.

 

[bob]

I think anyone would say their family is more important, their child or spouse is more important. So best not to speak for "anyone else" in this case. I'm sorry that you don't find the importance of loved ones a priority.

Only mine, certainly not yours who mean nothing to me. 'Anyone else' in this context is correct, as much as you may be dismayed by that notion.

 

[Breezy85]

Only mine, certainly not yours who mean nothing to me. 'Anyone else' in this context is correct, as much as you may be dismayed by that notion.

Do you have employees?
Cause I feel bad for them if they have a family emergency and you don't care enough to let them leave.

 

[Asuma01]

Bob cant wait for the robots. Seems like he wants his employees to act like them already. Do as I say not as I do. Eh Bob?

 

[TimToad]

Do you have employees?
Cause I feel bad for them if they have a family emergency and you don't care enough to let them leave.

He's already stated that he doesn't have employees and its more than obvious where he comes down on the empathy for others scale. At least he's honest about it.

 

[Breezy85]

He's already stated that he doesn't have employees and its more than obvious where he comes down on the empathy for others scale. At least he's honest about it.

Oh I didn't see that part.

 

[AKwrapguy]

https://www.jammer-store.com/gsm-blockers-jammers/

Just make sure you are the only one who has wifi password at the shop and your wifi calling is enabled. Done right you will roll up to the shop and you won't have cell signal but your phone will switch to wifi and operate as it should. Don't give the employee's the wifi password. Every time you will come back they will either be inside working making you money or outside talking their paycheck off.

These are highly illegal to use. If you are caught using them it's federal charges. While I know that this a tongue in cheek comment, this is a horrible idea. I can not stress enough how bad of an idea using one of these is.

 

[equippaint]

These are highly illegal to use. If you are caught using them it's federal charges. While I know that this a tongue in cheek comment, this is a horrible idea. I can not stress enough how bad of an idea using one of these is.

We have a cell phone tower on our property. I cant say I know for sure how these work but it may do more than just stop the employees.
There was a guy a couple years ago that was arrested for using one, if I remember right he didn't like people on the phone and driving. It caused a dead spot on the interstate so the FCC traced it and arrested him.

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

That's all well and good, but for an owner, you cannot have double standards. That IS illegal. Therefore the rules must be implemented for the weakest link and unfortunately, that would most likely be the abusers and users. A one man shop or even two or three, you can break the rules, but if it's found out by others..... your rules are then considered nonsense and deemed illegal. You'll be the one getting in trouble over some idiot on the phone just using up empty space........

Illegal? I think that's a stretch. Must be your state cause I don't think that argument flys down here. Only thing I'm aware of that you have to have the same policy for all employees is health and 401k benefits

 

[TimToad]

Illegal? I think that's a stretch. Must be your state cause I don't think that argument flys down here. Only thing I'm aware of that you have to have the same policy for all employees is health and 401k benefits

Of course not down there. You live in a freakin' state that allows fertilizer plants to be built next to schools and apartment complexes and then doesn't inspect them for years on end.

If the whole country followed Texas' lead, we'd see kids flying through the air from explosions every day.

 

[equippaint]

Of course not down there. You live in a freakin' state that allows fertilizer plants to be built next to schools and apartment complexes and then doesn't inspect them for years on end.

If the whole country followed Texas' lead, we'd see kids flying through the air from explosions every day.

If you took away oil from texas and tourism from Florida theyd be Mississippi

 

[Texas_Signmaker]

Of course not down there. You live in a freakin' state that allows fertilizer plants to be built next to schools and apartment complexes and then doesn't inspect them for years on end.

If the whole country followed Texas' lead, we'd see kids flying through the air from explosions every day.

Stuff like that happens all over the country. Some of Houston's pride is their absence of zoning laws... They keep voting to keep it that way so... give the people what they want. At least we're not stressing about warning labels on cups of coffee or billion dollar trains that go no where and no one wants to ride..

 

[equippaint]

Stuff like that happens all over the country. Some of Houston's pride is their absence of zoning laws... They keep voting to keep it that way so... give the people what they want. At least we're not stressing about warning labels on cups of coffee or billion dollar trains that go no where and no one wants to ride..

Lack of planning and zoning has already proven itself to be a bad idea in texas. The only ones that benefit are wealthy landowners. People will vote for whatever the person with the most money brain washes them to believe, true or not. I bet you could imprison young children for a political game and convince 1/3rd of the population that its the right thing to do with no effort......Wait? Say it aint so

 

[bannertime]

I'll make this clear because I don't trust some of y'alls judgement on this stuff. Especially you, bob.
DO NOT EVER USE A CELL PHONE JAMMER.
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Especially if your plan is to limit someone's own access to cell signal. I certainly hope your employees would report that. If you'd risk a $22k fine to have a little bit more control over some people, then you deserve that fine plus some.

Employee cell usage is more than likely a product of poor work environment. There are some wackos that have a true addiction, no doubt about that. Even they can be productive when engaged in their job. I've let one them go as recently as last summer, but his cell usage was only a fraction of his issues. So you want your staff to put the phone down, then be a boss and enforce your policies or ask them what it will take to get them to put it down.

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