Increasingly organisations are banning mobile/cellular phones in the workplace. Here we discuss a few of arguments for and against banning those devices


It is a growing trend in developed countries: organisations are banning, or at the very least restricting, the use of mobile/cellular phones in the workplace. In some organisations, smartphones are banned, but employees can carry very basic handsets. At a symposium on labour and productivity held in Barbados last week, concern was expressed that employees are becoming slaves to their mobile/cellular phones, which in turn is affecting communication and productivity on the job (Source: Nation News).

Across the Caribbean, there is a general and persistent concern about lowering levels of productivity, especially how it affects the competitiveness of our countries, our ability to attract investment, and consequently, our efforts to grow our economies. Though the factors contributing to lowering productivity in the region might be varied, could the deleterious effect of mobile/cellular phones in the workplace lead to policies that restrict, or outright ban, their use?

Ban: A source of distraction and hinders engagement

Have you ever been at a meeting and some individuals around the table are continually checking their smartphones? Alternatively, you are at an important meeting, and not only does someone’s phone ring, he/she embarks on having a conversation with the caller? For many people, their phone is a constant presence that causes them to split their attention –  what is going on on their phones, versus what is going on around them. To that end, Sheldon Yellen, Chief Executive Officer of Belfor, a USD 1.5 billion company that operates in 31 countries and employs 7,000 people, has banned mobile/cellular phones from company meetings:

My thinking is: Let’s have our meeting; let’s get on with it,” Yellen said. “In a lot of situations, we have a basket in the room or outside the room for cellphones.

(Source:  MSN)

Allow: Phones have become an extension of ourselves

Without a doubt, the mobile/cellular phone is a personal device – not only because it can be assigned to an individual, but there is also an expectation that it will be carried around by individuals. As a result, we have become conditioned to the immediacy of communication. If there is an urgent matter, of which we should be aware, or to which we should respond, we can be contacted in a matter of seconds/minutes, regardless of where we are, as opposed to hours or days, as would have obtained in the past. For people with young children, aged family members, or other important obligations outside the office, having their mobile/cellular phones readily at hand can be a great comfort.

Ban: Potentially limits breach of business secrets

In light of the seemingly indiscriminate use of mobile/cellular phones – even in circumstances where it might not be appropriate – depending on the nature of their operations, increasingly, organisations are taking steps to ban mobile devices in an effort to protect business secrets, or other confidential information resident in an organisation. For businesses that depend on intellectual property, be they copyrighted or patented material, or the use of highly guarded resources or processes, restricting use of mobile/cellular devices on their premises, could at the very least give them some peace of mind that their effects to avoid intellectual loss and leaks.

Allow: Banning can lower staff morale

Although organisations might take the position that the outright banning of mobile/cellular phones is justified, the action of prohibiting employees from either accessing or using the device in the workplace could be demoralising to them. To varying degrees, employees have enjoyed being able to use their devices in the workplace, hence a ban may not only be seen as a drastic step, but also make them them anxious and cause them to find ways and means to still check in with their phones. Ultimately, lower productivity may result, which was may have been one of the reasons why mobile/cellular phones were banned in the first place.

Ban:  Basic etiquette and politeness is being lost

Following from a previous point, thanks to mobile/cellular phones, people are placing greater emphasis on the interactions they are having on their devices than what they should be having with individuals physically in their presence. Many are no longer aware – or no longer care – that speaking on your phone when you are in the midst of having a conversation in person with someone, is bad manners. In the workplace, such behaviour could be fatal, especially among frontline staff, and those dealing with customers, who are expecting care and attention from those who are there to serve.

 

Image credits:  HandsOffPhone (flickr)

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