Smartphone/Internet usage at work...yay or nay? (employee, employer, job)

[qworldorder]

What is your employer's views on smartphone/Internet usage on the job? Is it allowed, frowned upon or outright banned? Perhaps a mixture of the three?

I say this as I've been in positions where it's allowed and some where it's not--it all depends on the job, the site and the supervisor. There was an argument between two employees here about usage that escalated fairly quickly--both the employee and supervisor were fired. The employee for arguing with the supervisor that he should be allowed as there's nothing going on (an ongoing tiff between the two), and the supervisor for poor management (we recently failed an audit).

Personally, unless you work a high security job (sensitive compartmentalized information), or work a job that demands total focus (either technological or human), you should be allowed to browse on your phone/PC. Not to the detriment of service--all within reason. I find outright bans to needlessly lower employee morale.

Thoughts?

[Thatsright19]

We're allowed pretty much full flexibility in tax accounting where I work. I could take an extra half hour off at lunch or go work out. There's long hours. We're all professionals. You know what you need to get done. If I need to take 15 minutes to use the phone, then that's just 15 minutes that I wasn't spending working on my workload that has pretty much non-negotiable deadlines.

You either pick that time up somewhere else...or the problem sorts it self out for the employer when you basically can't keep up.

[macroy]

I think there are two aspects to this - security/safety, and professionalism/productivity.

I don't think folks will have as much of an issue with secured environments as they are pretty much black and white. Every SCIF I've seen won't even allow you to bring communication devices in. Other places where it's tied to safety include hospitals, manufacturing, etc.

As for the 2nd. I tend to see these policies spelled out for retail or other customer facing environments. I guess the majority of staff in those positions are less experienced, so they tend to be a bit more spelled out as to what is acceptable or not - like the polices specifying acceptable attire (with pictures), gum chewing, etc.

In backoffice professional environments, it's often a lot more relaxed. However, there is that expectation that you know how to handle yourself professionally. And this is where that gray area can come in. More often than not, you have a few "bad apple" experiences, and that specific policy gets created.

[BlueMountainFame1992]

We are not allowed any phones on the floor. I don't have a smart phone--just a trackphone to keep in touch with my son and spouse in case of emergencies.

[G-fused]

We're allowed full flexibility. Heck, most of us use our smartphones for work. We access files and use it for email all the time.

[StPaulGal]

I am of the opinion that if the work is getting done it shouldn't matter if employees look at their phones now and then. I agree that treating workers as autonomous adults responsible for their own work product is likely to foster much higher levels of morale and inspire better outcomes than dictating and policing them like schoolchildren. Not to mention that a multitude of studies have proven that people are actually more productive when they are refreshed by mini-breaks throughout the day.

Even if it gets out of hand, I don't think it is necessarily fair to place the problem at the feet of the technology. An unproductive employee is an unproductive employee--whether they are facebooking furiously on their smart phone or simply gazing out the window neglecting their job duties. I would tend to believe that the best results would be gained by addressing the productivity problem head-on rather than making a blanket ruling on technology use. ("Doug, I need you to get me these reports no later than 11 AM every day." rather than "Doug, I forbid you from using your cell phone.")

The above refers to typical office work. I have no experience with labor-type fields, but I imagine cell phone use would cause safety concerns, say, on an assembly line or at a construction site.