Mobiles in the workplace.

Fionn1952

greenspurs wrote: »

I did not say that.

Were the majority of staff compliant with the rules or not? You previously stated that it was a small number who weren't following guidelines, so what's the issue with what I said?

a_squirrelman

If the OP can discipline people (verbal->written->dismissal) if they are caught using their phones after these lockboxes are introduced why can't they be disciplined right now if caught?
Stick some posters up that it's out of hand and the rules will be implemented from now on.

Fandymo

greenspurs wrote: »

As i explained, flagrant blatant use of phones throughout the working day while on a production line/ working with machinery/ driving forklifts.

Also, going to the toilet for 10-15mins watching youtube/ on facebook etc.

Have you/management been spying on people in the toilet??

Dav010

Fandymo wrote: »

Have you/management been spying on people in the toilet??

Where did that come from?

namloc1980

That workplace sounds like a nightmare. Probably a place with a lot of micromanagement and daily "productivity" targets. Horrendous culture by the sounds of it.

Calahonda52

antimatterx wrote: »

This is pathetic. These aren't children.

If my workplace did this I'd walk tbh, and so would most of the staff.

WALOB
Reason for leaving:
Company would not allow me use my own phone for personal pleasure etc while clocked in.
The final straw was when I could not use it for texting while driving the forklift
:eek:

Fionn1952

Calahonda52 wrote: »

WALOB
Reason for leaving:
Company would not allow me use my own phone for personal pleasure etc while clocked in.
The final straw was when I could not use it for texting while driving the forklift
:eek:

Reason for Leaving:

Poor management; instead of dealing with a small number of people who were causing problems with a company policy, we were asked to hand over our personal property to be placed in a time locked box. I'd prefer to work in an environment where the management actually manage.

Simple

Dav010

Fionn1952 wrote: »

Reason for Leaving:

Poor management; instead of dealing with a small number of people who were causing problems with a company policy, we were asked to hand over our personal property to be placed in a time locked box. I'd prefer to work in an environment where the management actually manage.

Simple

And where people listen to management, but if children don’t listen to the grown ups, a manager really shouldn’t have to explain more than once to an adult why using your phone and working as a driver/machine operator isn’t compatible.

Giblet

a_squirrelman wrote: »

If the OP can discipline people (verbal->written->dismissal) if they are caught using their phones after these lockboxes are introduced why can't they be disciplined right now if caught?
Stick some posters up that it's out of hand and the rules will be implemented from now on.

See, this is why the management is terrible. The solution is already there, but they want to introduce something that makes them feel better.

Just hand out warnings now, no boxes needed! Saves money too.

Fionn1952

Dav010 wrote: »

And where people listen to management, but if children don’t listen to the grown ups, a manager really shouldn’t have to explain more than once to an adult why using your phone and working as a driver/machine operator isn’t compatible.

Has anyone suggested that the (small) number of non-compliant staff shouldn't face disciplinary procedures? Has anyone suggested the staff should be allowed to plonk away on their mobiles while working?

If children don't listen to the grown ups, you punish the child who isn't listening, not all the children including those who follow the rules. If grown adults don't follow instructions from management, then perhaps there are better management methods than treating them like children.....perhaps employing a workforce who will behave like adults and management who have a modicum of actual people management skills would be a step in the right direction?

I can't understand how anyone reasonable could defend this as a good policy or good management (bar perhaps the incompetent manager who brought in such a policy as they're totally devoid of ideas).

namloc1980

Dav010 wrote: »

And where people listen to management, but if children don’t listen to the grown ups, a manager really shouldn’t have to explain more than once to an adult why using your phone and working as a driver/machine operator isn’t compatible.

So instead the manager decided to treat every employee with the same blunt approach because they clearly lacked any nuance or ability to tackle the actual issue that was with a small number of staff.

greenspurs

a_squirrelman wrote: »

If the OP can discipline people (verbal->written->dismissal) if they are caught using their phones after these lockboxes are introduced why can't they be disciplined right now if caught?
Stick some posters up that it's out of hand and the rules will be implemented from now on.

I am neither in charge of disciplin1ng employees , nor really in favour of the 'solution' being implemented.

I just asked what people thought of it ...

greenspurs

Fandymo wrote: »

Have you/management been spying on people in the toilet??

Its fairly easy to notice when someone walks off a line,
its fairly easy to know how long they are gone for.
Its fairly easy to hear them watching youtube if you go into the toilets.

Lux23

This reminds me of when I worked in a warehouse, all of the supervisors had been promoted from the floors based on their absence record rather than their ability so they ended up with several people that had zero people management skills. They never went this far, though.

twowheelsonly

namloc1980 wrote: »

So instead the manager decided to treat every employee with the same blunt approach because they clearly lacked any nuance or ability to tackle the actual issue that was with a small number of staff.

Yes, it's then the same for everybody, at all times, right across the board.

Otherwise you get..."It was my first time using my phone and xxxx is always using his and nothing is ever said.." or "It was an emergency, my poor child bumped their head "... excuses, excuses, excuses.
No-one will ever put their hand up and say "Yeah, was just checking my notifications so I deserve to be sacked.." We all know it goes on and for every one genuine emergency call there's probably in excess of 10,000 cases of casual use.
We're not allowed phones in work and we survive just fine.
It's also not a case of management taking your property, you have the choice to leave it at home or in the car. I genuinely can't believe some of the drama queens here that can't live without their phones and say they'd leave the company or wouldn't work for a company like that - and then complain about management treating staff like children

Strumms

Fionn1952 wrote: »

Reason for Leaving:

Poor management; instead of dealing with a small number of people who were causing problems with a company policy, we were asked to hand over our personal property to be placed in a time locked box. I'd prefer to work in an environment where the management actually manage.

Simple

Basically management too lazy to manage...

If a customer service rep was caught nicking the petty cash, should a company then sack or discipline all 12 CS reps ? Or just deal with the offending individual ?

People using phones when they shouldn’t ? In contravention of the company policy? Managers need to get off their lazy backsides and do their jobs.... deal with / discipline the offending individual(s) and that’s it...

Dav010

Strumms wrote: »

Basically management too lazy to manage...

If a customer service rep was caught nicking the petty cash, should a company then sack or discipline all 12 CS reps ? Or just deal with the offending individual ?

People using phones when they shouldn’t ? In contravention of the company policy? Managers need to get off their lazy backsides and do their jobs.... deal with / discipline the offending individual(s) and that’s it...

If the employees in the factory are barred from using phones during working hours, and have been told this on numerous occasions, what’s the issue with leaving them in the employee lockers provided rather than having to drop them in a sealed box?

You are saying the management are lazy and over reacting, if you provide personal lockers and tell people repeatedly not to use their phones while working, then if they want to be treated like children, treat them that way. Only a few may be obvious or repeat offenders, but you know yourself that it’s hard not to check your phone now and again.

Personally, if it was easy to do I’d get rid of the few and trust the many to comply, but you know yourself, the employer is guaranteed a visit to the WRC if they fire someone for using their phone, the sin not being commensurate with the punishment and all that waffle.

Strumms

Dav010 wrote: »

If the employees in the factory are barred from using phones during working hours, and have been told this on numerous occasions, what’s the issue with leaving them in the employee lockers provided rather than having to drop them in a sealed box?

You are saying the management are lazy and over reacting, if you provide personal lockers and tell people repeatedly not to use their phones while working, then if they want to be treated like children, treat them that way. Only a few may be obvious or repeat offenders, but you know yourself that it’s hard not to check your phone now and again.

Personally, if it was easy to do I’d get rid of the few and trust the many to comply, but you know yourself, the employer is guaranteed a visit to the WRC if they fire someone for using their phone, the sin not being commensurate with the punishment and all that waffle.

If you identify that people are using phones, you know who it is, so discipline them ! get managers, managing, doing what they are paid for. Addressing issues of non compliance with those directly who are non compliant.

Treat people like children you’ll soon find yourself on a hiring merry go round.

Mrs OBumble

twowheelsonly wrote: »

Yes, it's then the same for everybody, at all times, right across the board.

Otherwise you get..."It was my first time using my phone and xxxx is always using his and nothing is ever said.." or "It was an emergency, my poor child bumped their head "...

Or even better, treat problem employees differently, and they'll complain that you're bullying them.

Sadly, the "anti-bullying" culture often means applying the lowest common denominator to the whole workforce.

Strumms

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Or even better, treat problem employees differently, and they'll complain that you're bullying them.

Sadly, the "anti-bullying" culture often means applying the lowest common denominator to the whole workforce.

Let them complete, if there is proof otherwise and the manager IS playing with a straight bat, he’s nothing to worry about.

Do you believe an ‘anti bullying’ culture is a bad thing ? The alternative to anti bullying is enabling bullying... no middle ground exists.

Ish66

Dont people chat with each other on breaks anymore ?

Dav010

Ish66 wrote: »

Dont people chat with each other on breaks anymore ?

Not verbally.

Ish66

Dav010 wrote: »

Not verbally.

So glad I work solo

witchgirl26

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

Or even better, treat problem employees differently, and they'll complain that you're bullying them.

Sadly, the "anti-bullying" culture often means applying the lowest common denominator to the whole workforce.

They can complain but if the manager can show that they are applying the same standards and policies to everyone, the complaint won't be upheld.

I work in this area and have dealt with many reports of bullying. Some are completely genuine and dealt with appropriately. However a lot are what you are suggesting. The same process for investigating is followed and usually once it's presented to the employee that the same policies were followed for them as for others but that they had breached the policy which is why they were reprimanded (and as long as that was in line with the offence), they don't make any further complaint. Which btw they are entitled to do - they can always respond to the result of the investigation.

greenspurs

I didnt think there'd be as much discussion.

I didnt post my opinion of the decision until late in the thread, and as i said then , i think its a bit OTT and personally, i dont think it will work.

Something has to be done about the chronic users there, but i do agree its a bit weak to not have the balls to grasp the nettle, and punish those individually, than punish the collective instead ...

Anyway, we'll see.
Thanks to all for the imput.

twowheelsonly

greenspurs wrote: »

I didnt think there'd be as much discussion.

I didnt post my opinion of the decision until late in the thread, and as i said then , i think its a bit OTT and personally, i dont think it will work.

Something has to be done about the chronic users there, but i do agree its a bit weak to not have the balls to grasp the nettle, and punish those individually, than punish the collective instead ...

Anyway, we'll see.
Thanks to all for the imput.

Unfortunately it's not as easy to punish the chronic users as everyone would like to think.
A rule is a rule - no phones during working hours. That leaves no room for differentiating between the chronic users and the once a month user. Lets be honest, we all take a peek at our phones, oft times when there's absolutely zero need to.
Because it's impossible to differentiate between users, as per the rule, then it's an impossible task to try to 'manage' this. It's very easy for people to say "Just let the managers manage the offenders ' but when it comes down to it probably 95% of us would be offenders to some degree. The light users will be pissed because the heavy users seem to get away with it. The heavy users will be pissed at being punished because the light users don't get punished to the same degree.

Solution: Everyone leaves their phone in their locker. You'll all be used to it in a week.

RandomViewer

Ish66 wrote: »

Dont people chat with each other on breaks anymore ?

Most just sit on their phones

Dav010

RandomViewer wrote: »

Most just sit on their phones

On vibrate?

RandomViewer

Dav010 wrote: »

On vibrate?

Naw there's just one of them and we give him a wide berth

kennethsmyth

Fann Linn wrote: »

Same here. I get provided with a work phone and tablet, pay BIK on same, a few newspaper apps, Sky Go on it. So long as the jobs are done the boss is happy.

Why are you paying bik on work phone and tablet - personal use is considered incidental.