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I checked into a part-time retail position in a family-owned business close to home. It seemed ideal for me as a 24/7 caregiver who is retired and just wanted to work a few hours a day, a few days a week, for extra income and to get out of the house.
They wanted to hire me ''on the spot'' and the hours seemed fine considering my role at home, until their cell phone policy came to light.
It seemed overly strict to me: no cell phones at work, period. If you brought one with you it had to be left at the front desk or in your car. No making or accepting ANY phone calls at work. Not even during break, lunch, via their landlines, or your cell.
As a caregiver that was unacceptable and there was no budging on their policy, so that ended that for me.
I mean, who would work where they could not even be contacted via the store's line for a family emergency?
Anyone run into policies this strict?
Too strict, for your purposes. (Of course, if you leave the premises during lunch, they have no say-so over that.)
Looks like they've had trouble with employees on their phones a lot, talking or texting or phones ringing. I can understand that. That phone policy would be fine w/me, but is not for someone who is a caregiver. You need to get emergency calls.
I DO pee a lot - at home, while out, and at work - at least once every 2 hours or so. That is because I drink about 90-100 ounces of water every day. What goes in must come out!
Doing so has no bearing on my work performance, and I am one of the top performers at my job. No one has to "cover" for me while I run down the hall, and my boss trusts me to get the job done I am being paid to do. And I do. FWIW, my boss, when not on site, communicates with employees via text as well, so there is that!
I have small kidneys, I think. I go to the bathroom a LOT! At least every 2 hours. I can't make a 4 hour drive without a potty stop.
Women have smaller kidneys than men and go to the bathroom more often, I've read.
There is also this: "Short and unobtrusive breaks, such as a quick surf of the internet, enables the mind to rest itself, leading to a higher total net concentration for a days work, and as a result, increased productivity."
Obviously different work places have different atmospheres and a person taking a "break" can lead to too many "breaks," absolutely, but the same thing would go for smoke breaks and water cooler breaks as well. The point is that going full-blast all day long at what you're doing without the slightest bit of a break other than your half-hour lunch or whatever just doesn't work well for a person, that those "quick checks" don't hurt anything as they like to make out and in fact apparently do an employee and their productivity some GOOD.
Plus, you can work better when you KNOW that everything is OK with grandma etc vs that when you left it was not that great and no one has been able to call you the entire time, how can you focus on work at a time like that? Do you want to be that company that expects someone to "tune it out" the entire time they're at work? It's not going to kill them for my wife to call asking if there's anything to eat at home and I clarify that either yes there's a pot roast waiting in the slow cooker or no I didn't make anything so while you're still in town grab something, otherwise either (a) she buys something unnecessarily or (b) she doesn't and goes home to a home with no food prepared and wishes she'd known that while she was still in town and the store was right there. Such a phone call takes not even an entire minute and makes a huge difference.
Not loafing and mostly focusing on your work and being productive is one thing, but at the same time employees are human and treating them like humans and not like gadgets tends to net better results.
Your response is a bit over the top, don't you think? How many emergency calls do you get? If you need to be in constant contact with others, perhaps you shouldn't be working.
No, its not over the top. Of course such a situation is rare, but they do occur occasionally, and it seems as though, by the way the OP described the specific situation, all calls, even incoming via the store's landline were not accepted---Now, since I have seen what I describe (with an emergency) go unanswered and not conveyed to the employee, I see it a bit differently...I mean, if that happened to you, wouldn't you feel upset to say the least?
The fact the policy was not conveyed before being hired is wrong. It should had been revealed beforehand.For some people, this policy might not be a problem, but for most it well could be at least undesirable and thus really should had been made known before being hired.
Last edited by Austin023; 01-01-2017 at 01:28 PM..
It simply doesn't matter if it's DoD or K-Mart. You are being paid to WORK. that's it. Phone use at work is not a "right".
Ok, let me break this down:
You're missing my point. She was hired before this unusual policy came to light--it was incompatible with her life obligations. They should had made this known beforehand.
First, I never I said ordinary cell phone use is a "right" at work---I say emergency calls, coming in via the store's phones (real the bold sections below of OP).
Second, I say such a policy in that kind of work environment is unnecessary and is potentially a liability. Does not have to do with "rights"; It has to do with ethics, when considering the totality of the scenario described by the OP.
Lets consider this: An emergency call coming in to work is a rare thing, but when it does occur--and it can happen with virtually anyone ---it has a good chance of not being conveyed to the worker in such a case.
Now, lets say that worker is you and your son was gravely injured in an auto wreck--its unclear if he will survive or not and the hospital or someone else attempts to contact you at work---and can't get through. You find out hours later, after getting off work. You wouldn't be upset? Its not a "right" to know such a thing?
The OP states in her message:
I checked into a part-time retail position in a family-owned business close to home. It seemed ideal for me as a 24/7 caregiver who is retired and just wanted to work a few hours a day, a few days a week, for extra income and to get out of the house.
They wanted to hire me ''on the spot'' and the hours seemed fine considering my role at home, until their cell phone policy came to light.
It seemed overly strict to me: no cell phones at work, period. If you brought one with you it had to be left at the front desk or in your car. No making or accepting ANY phone calls at work. Not even during break, lunch, via their landlines, or your cell.
As a caregiver that was unacceptable and there was no budging on their policy, so that ended that for me. I mean, who would work where they could not even be contacted via the store's line for a family emergency?
Anyone run into policies this strict?
Last edited by Austin023; 01-01-2017 at 01:35 PM..
Reason: addition of text
I have no problem with that cell phone policy. This is the way it was before cell phone use was common, which wasn't long ago. Whether they allow it or not makes no difference to me. (I'm retired, now, but I'm talking about when I worked.)
I saw so many people slipping into corners and bathrooms and visitor booths to make personal cell phone calls. It really has become a problem for employers.
If they're going to do that, there needs to be a way for emergency calls to reach employees, which would be the same as before common cell phone use, probably.
I'm saying one can live without a cell phone during working hours.
YOU DARN KIDS STAY OFF MY LAWN!!!!!
Good God, I swear if companies had a policy where you'd have to cut off an arm to keep your job, some of you would go get the rusty saw, no questions asked!! It's attitudes like this that contribute to the American workplace looking more like a gulag every day!! Common sense folks, if an employee abuses cell phone use-can them, God knows you don't even need a reason in 'Murica anyways.
Life is different these days, and believe it or not, many excellent employees may need use of a cell phone at times!!
While you're at it, eliminate bathrooms at work, just use a bucket and some paper towels too FFS
Some people *shakes head
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