Companies Banning Cell Phones in the Office
With more workers objecting to the noisy beeps and ring tones from personal calls, cell phone use at work is being limited by many companies, USA Today recently reported. They quoted a recent survey by staffing company Ranstad USA and the Society for Human Resource Management that reported 30 percent of employees cited cell phones ringing at work as their number one pet peeve at the office. Additionally, the survey found that that more than a third of companies contacted have put in place policies to address the issue.Noise and distraction were listed as the most important reasons for the limits. More than half of workers surveyed said they get impatient or angry when a coworker stops a conversation because of an incoming wireless call, according to a Sprint survey quoted in the article. In addition, cell phones with the ability to take pictures or watch video clips are in danger of being banned or limited because of their effect on productivity.
USA Today also reported that lack of productivity and annoyance are not the only reasons for a cell phone ban. Safety is can be a factor, as employers may be liable in an accident even if an employee is using his or her own phone and doing business outside normal working hours.
