With the current technology culture as it is today, many employers are proactively implementing cell phone policies.
A cell phone policy can address a variety of matters, including, but not limited to, the following:
- Cell phones in the workplace;
- Cell phones while driving;
- Administrative issues related to company-issued cell phones; and
- Cell phone security.
Employers should take time to do an up-front assessment of what they would actually want to address in their cell phone policy.
These days, employers really can’t limit their policy to just cell phones, because an employee may have a company-issued Personal Digital Assistant (PDA), such as a BlackBerry, Treo or iPhone. And these smart phones are becoming even more widespread than regular cell phones are.
Issues to Consider for Cell Phone Policies
If an employer decides that it would be a good idea to create a cell phone policy, there are a lot of issues regarding cell phone usage that employers may want to consider and address in its policy, such as:
- Does your company want to prohibit employees from using their cell phones while driving? For example, prohibit employees who are using company vehicles and/or company cell phones from using the phone while driving; prohibit employees who are using their own vehicles and/or cell phones from using the phone for company business while driving. A number of states have cell phone laws. Your should check applicable state and local laws regarding the use of cell phones while driving.
- Does your company want to allow employees to use their cell phones during work time? If so, should the policy include a that the phone has to be on the vibrate setting during work time?
- Does your company want to only allow employees to use their cell phones during break time?
- Does your company want to create a separate cell phone policy or just add information about cell phone use into your electronics policy?
- Does your company want to limit the use of phones with cameras? There are a lot of businesses where employees are dealing with sensitive information, so you may want to consider putting something in your cell phone policy that addresses employees’ use of videos and cameras on their company-issued phones.
- Does your company want to record employee cell phone conversations? If so, please be aware that there are federal and state laws governing such call monitoring.
- Does your company want to have its employees sign in acknowledgement that they have read and understand the cell phone policy?
Many times, employers don’t think about creating cell phone policies until a problem occurs that causes them to think, “You know what? We need a policy to cover this issue.”
Be proactive—create a cell phone policy for your company. It’s definitely a good thing to have.
When putting together your cell phone policy, it is best to consult your HR department as well as an employment attorney for legal considerations.
Legal Disclaimer
The information contained in this document is for general, informational purposes only and is not intended to be legal advice. This information is not a substitute for the guidance of a professional and should not be relied upon in reference to any specific situation without first seeking the advice of a qualified HR professional and/or legal counsel regarding applicable federal, state or local laws. HRTools, Insperity and their respective employees make no warranties, express or implied, and make no judgments regarding the accuracy of this content and/or its applicability to a specific situation. A reference or link to another website is not an endorsement of that site or service.