Cell phones are amazingly helpful with many useful functions both on the personal and professional levels. However, they can and often are a distraction when it comes to staying on task. Often employees will use them to text message, make personal calls or even just scroll through social media platforms.
In fact, according to a Business News Daily article, employees waste around eight hours a week on non-work activities, primarily being on their mobile devices. In particular, employees waste around 56 minutes daily, which amounts to around five hours weekly of wasted time simply from being on their mobile devices for non-work-related activities. This is to say nothing of the fact that if employees engage in illegal phone activity while on work premises, your company could be held liable. Therefore, it’s imperative for modern companies to have some form of phone monitoring in place at least in most cases. Read on to learn more:
What Does Mobile Phone Monitoring Look Like in the Modern Workplace?
Wasted time can lead to wasted money for your business. After all, time is money. We all understand how easy it is to get distracted by today’s technology! Mobile phone monitoring can look different depending on any given situation or workplace, but essentially it is either a system or software or both that is set in place to make sure that there is a fair and balanced mobile phone usage while on company time.
Benefits of Mobile Phone Monitoring
While it might seem oppressive at the outset, mobile phone monitoring can have some benefits. For example, if employees know that there is some form of mobile monitoring in place, they are less likely to abuse their phone privileges. This means you are less likely to have to take some form of disciplinary action later on. You can also ensure that your company’s technology is not at risk by engaging in proper monitoring practices.
Potential Obstacles of Mobile Phone Monitoring
There are benefits to checking in on employees’ mobile habits as mentioned above. However, having such systems in place isn’t always well-received or appreciated by employees. In fact, trust is always a factor when it comes to monitoring any sort of behavior, cell phone use is no exception. Employees do deserve privacy and that is why any mobile phone policies or other forms of monitoring systems should be fair and logical. You should also ensure that your employees know these policies and/or systems are in place. Never keep it a secret.
Ways to Enact Mobile Phone Monitoring Policies
As mentioned above, there are two primary ways to go about implementing mobile phone monitoring. They are through software or through systems or both. The following is a look at each of these practices:
- Software: You can monitor employees by putting cameras in place to record them on their phones. If you have evidence that cell phone overuse is an issue, action can then be taken to correct the problem once you have video evidence of a violation. You can also purchase monitoring software as well to place on company phones.
- Systems: You can also enforce a disciplinary system if cell phone usage becomes excessive. Keep in mind, disciplinary measures should be fair and should include exceptions for emergencies. Create a written policy on cell phone usage differentiating between business and personal calls. Meet with all employees to explain the reasons behind the cell phone policy. Make sure they understand that you aren’t merely trying to take away their freedom or fun, but that you are trying to create a more efficient work environment.
Bottom Line: Make it Known:
Regardless of what system of monitoring you choose to curb cell phone use on the job, make sure your employees know they are being monitored and understand all the rules of cell phone use while on the clock. How and whether you choose to implement mobile phone monitoring will depend on your given situation. Our team of HR experts have had years of experience working with many situations, and would love to talk with you to see your best solutions. Please contact us to learn more about monitoring practices and ensure that your company is going about this the right way.
