Employee Cell Phone Policy For IT Teams [+ Downloadable Template]

What is an Employee Cell Phone Policy?

An employee cell phone policy is a set of guidelines that establish and enforce the rules for cell phone usage at the workplace.

Its purpose is to help employees understand the terms and conditions of how the organization expects them to use their company-issued or personal phone.

Apart from listing down when it is (and when it is not) permissible to use their cell phones, the policy mentions consequences for non-adherence, sets out emergency case issues, and works to assure employees that it exists for their and the organization’s mutual benefit.

Also Read: The Complete Guide to Equip Your Remote Employees

Why Have a Cell Phone Policy at Work

Let’s have a reality check: you cannot completely stop your employees from using their phones, no matter how many times you call them to the conference room for those “no phone” talks. Cell phone usage varies from person to person, and some employees need to use their phones more than others.

The use of cell phones, on the other hand, is the leading cause of workplace distraction, and productivity is drastically reduced. Phones are the reason behind 55% of all workplace distractions. And 75% of employers believe that more than two hours are lost each to workplace distractions.

But also, employees must maintain a clear boundary between work-related and personal phone use. A 2014 study by Nagy and Rado revealed that 80% of respondents used their mobile phones for personal use during work hours, and white-collar workers, like the ones in your office, are more prone to unintended phone use than blue-collar workers.

White-collar workers use cell phones for calls and emails. Source

Naturally, you should completely ban cell phone usage at your workplace. But hear us out! Completely prohibiting cell phone use and enforcing a no-tolerance policy will do you more harm than good. Phones are often necessary to stay in touch with internal teams and departments and to quickly access memos and to-do lists.

A cell phone policy works to strike a sweet balance between judicious and inadvertent cell phone usage to:

• Minimize distractions and reduce chances of cyberloafing

• Maximize productivity,

• And boost natural bonding among employees

A successful cell phone policy is very clear about the dos and don’ts of phone usage. It clearly explains to each employee how to use their cell phones. Let’s discover more reasons why it’s so important to have a cell phone policy in place.

Benefits of a Cell Phone Policy

70% of employees keep their phones in front of their eyes at work, and according to IT execs, 80% of them can't even work properly without their mobile phones. 

Every modern workplace, thus, needs a proper cell phone policy in place today. Here's why:

• Promotes better employee productivity 

People nowadays are hooked on their phones, and employees can spend hours on their phones for non-work activities. 

Distractions from cell phones are the most significant cause of productivity decline in the workplace. You must understand that your employees picking up their phones at every notification costs your company valuable time and resources.

When you enforce a cell phone policy for your employees and restrict recreational phone usage, you prevent them from getting distracted from work every other minute. Subsequently, employee productivity and work engagement soar.

• Encourages employee safety

With a cell phone policy in place, it will be nearly impossible to harass other employees using a mobile device. Thus, a cell phone policy goes a long way toward protecting the workers' privacy and safety. 

A cell phone policy also contributes to a safer work environment for employees who spend most of their workdays behind the wheel. Plus, with a policy, employees are less likely to have their privacy invaded by being caught in other people's photos and video recordings. 

• Helps ensure confidentiality 

If your business handles confidential or proprietary data, it has a failsafe security plan. However, if you let employees use their phones without restriction, you risk losing important, confidential information.

Cell phones are great tools for recording company data, private conversations, manufacturing processes, and other important information that could be exploited later. 

You eliminate the risk of such security breaches and safeguard your data with a proper cell phone policy for all your employees.

• Sets clear expectations and ensures consistent enforcement

A formal cell phone policy sets clear guidelines on acceptable and unacceptable phone usage, which helps maintain uniformity and consistency across the organization. Consistent enforcement of these rules can reduce misunderstandings and ensure fair treatment of all employees. This means you won’t have employees envying each other for being allowed to use their phones more than others. 

Critical Elements of an Effective Cell Phone Policy

• Establish a clear distinction between personal and company-issued cell phone usage 

Your cell phone policy should outline what devices your employees can bring to the workplace. Many organizations have a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy, which essentially means that employees are allowed to use their personal phones (and computers) in the workplace. On the contrary, some organizations hand out company-issued devices for employees and allow only those in the workplace.

While BYOD policies save you from the associated costs of issuing company-wide phones, employees are likely distracted by games and personal apps on their phones during office hours. 

Although providing employees with phones is costly, you can monitor and configure them to run only work-related apps.  

Outline your policy to mandate company-provided phones for work-related use only and clearly specify how personal devices are treated in the workplace.

Also read: Remote Device Management: Everything You Need To Know

• Clearly communicate all the dos and don’ts of cell phone use

Ideally, your organization’s cell phone policy should be a mandatory section of the employer’s manual. Try to implement the policy into the onboarding confirmation process for new hires. 

Your policy must clearly state when and where employees can use their cell phones and when and where they cannot. It should also highlight why they can use their devices during work hours.

Your goal is to eliminate any confusion regarding phone use. Have your employees read and acknowledge their understanding of your policy by collecting mandatory signatures. Also, ensure that your IT and HR departments respond to employees' queries regarding your policy.

• Allow for productive and work-related cell phone usage

Many employees depend on cell phones for critical work-related tasks, especially in IT. Employees must quickly access files, perform research, maintain timetables, track times, inform coworkers and clients of essential updates, and photograph work-related products. Around 85% of employees prefer to use their smartphones over computers for these simple tasks. 

IT employees depend heavily on productivity and time management apps to complete things on time. Fun fact: the market for these apps is so large that it’s estimated to reach a projected market volume of US$8.50 billion by 2027. If your employees are being more efficient by using these apps on their phones, you wouldn’t want to stop them from doing so.

That is why your cell phone policy must recognize and permit the productive use of cell phones in the workplace. Write your policy to encourage fair use of phones and urge them to use their discretion to avoid distractions.

• Include a clause on non-compliance

What if your employees don’t abide by the policy rules? What if someone has used their phones against policy guidelines for the first time? What if there are habitual offenders?  A non-compliance section in your policy helps you deal with such situations.

Ensure your cell phone policy highlights the disciplinary actions to be taken in case of employee non-compliance. It’s usually good to have separate actions for first-time and habitual offenders. 

Similarly, employees who engage in more severe violations, such as recording sensitive data or downloading or viewing obscene material/pornography, should face stricter consequences, including dismissal.

Best Practices for Your Cell Phone Policy

Have a draft of a cell phone policy ready to go? Great. But it doesn't end with creating the policy. For starters, spread awareness among your employees for responsible cell phone use. Follow these best practices for the best results from your cell phone policy:

• Update your cell phone policy regularly: Your cell phone policy must adapt to the company's changing needs. It should be flexible to accommodate new job positions that require more (or no) cell phone use compared to the rest of your workforce.

• Involve your employees in the policy-making process: Ask your employees if specific tasks or roles require more lenient cell phone use. Some employees, like those handling app debugging and mobile testing, would need to be more on their phones, while others, like heavy machinery operators, might need even stricter rules.

• Educate your employees: To be effective and bring desired results, new and existing employees must clearly understand the policy. Confirm whether team members have consented to the policy via signature or email verification. Posting the policy in visible and common areas is a good strategy for educating employees.

• Ensure proper policy enforcement: Set up a small committee to ensure all employees follow the policy. Distinguish productive and unproductive cell phone use in the workplace. Monitor employees who violate the policy and hold them accountable.

• Specify what is not permitted: Your policy must state what cell phone usage you prohibit for employees. For instance, the policy must mention that surfing on the internet, playing games, texting, attending personal calls, downloading, uploading, or viewing inappropriate images and texts are strictly prohibited during working hours.

• Shape your policy according to your business: Every organization is different, and you'll know yours better than us. Your cell phone policy should be in the best interest of your employees and business goals. Typically, a balance between strict and flexible guidelines brings the best results.

Also Read: IT Hardware Procurement: Importance, Benefits, and Best Practices

Downloadable and Use-Ready Cell Phone Policy You Can Customize To Make Your Own

Equip Your Global Teams With Mobile Devices (And More) With Workwize

That was it. All that you need to do is begin writing your cell phone policy for your workplace. 

If you’re considering company cell phones or tablets for your organization, we’ll tell you where to get them from Workwize. Workwize is a zero-touch IT hardware management solution to equip your global teams with pre-configured, use-ready IT devices. With Workwize, you can:

• Procure IT Hardware: Access global delivery of IT equipment (like phones and tablets) across warehouses, remote offices, or directly to your employees’ home addresses

• Deploy seamlessly: Ensure your devices are MDM-enabled and pre-configured to be ready for use from day 1 of reaching your employee’s hands

• Manage all your devices: Monitor all your rented/bought equipment, as well as their current and depreciating value. Also, allow employees to access self-service IT support to request items, repairs/ maintenance, or seek any other support

• Retrieve painlessly: Enjoy zero-touch retrieval once assets reach the end of their life or employees leave with all communication, packaging, and logistics handled by us 

• Dispose of with compliance: Get fair market value for your end-of-life hardware via local warehouses or donate all with a certificate of data destruction

Book a Workwize Demo Now to see how Workwize can help you best.