Woodworking Business

You are not logged in. [ Login ] Why log in
(NOTE: Login is not required to post)

Cell Phones

12/21/16       
Tom O Member

Seasons Greetings to you all,

We are updating our employee manuals and I have a question. If an employee uses their personal cell phone and we pay them $xx per month to help can we require them to adhere to our Acceptable Use policy as it applies to company owned phones? Thanks

12/22/16       #2: Cell Phones ...
Rsea444

Bear in mind I am not a lawyer.

I am sure the law affecting this will vary from state to state. I have read court decisions regarding content of employee phones where if the employer provides the phone and cell service, he has the right to control and monitor the content. Not sure what happens if you only pay part of the service bill.

Personally, I would provide a phone to certain key personnel, and thus have the legal right to regulate it's use. You can get a phone from Walmart as cheap as $50 and $45 a month for service. I would ban all personal phones from the production floor for both safety and production issues.

Figure what just 5 minutes of unnecessary personal time on the phone costs you in a year......about 15 hours per worker...not counting potential accidents due to the distraction. When I retired, cell phones were just becoming an every person thing. I had cubby hole box by the factory door. You phone went into your cubby or left in your car. Family members knew they could call through the office in an emergency.

12/25/16       #3: Cell Phones ...
Mark

+1 on the above-
Cell phone use is so pervasive today as to not be believed by someone of my generation(in my 50's). Three people I interviewed last spring I told to leave because they were checking texts,tweets or whatever during the interview. (I know they probably didn't want the job but hey, that's rude)
I pay for productive work time, not fooling around on the phone. All phones are left in cars or lunchboxes, only the foreman carries one of the companies phones and they better not be yakin'. The only exception is if a family member is sick ,etc. If they want music, a radio is fine as long as you can hear over it.
I supply phones to those that need them to communicate with the company; everyone else can wait for the two 15 min.(more like 25) breaks I pay for and their own lunch time.
I agree that the best bet is to supply a work phone, no complications

12/30/16       #4: Cell Phones ...
Stewart

The company I work for has a no phone on the production floor policy. I was working on a machine one day and was using my personal phone to talk with tech support to work through an issue as that is my job when the production foreman came by and promptly fired me and walked me out of the building, the equipment was not in operation but I was fired, right? I ignored the calls from the company on the drive home and didn't answer one until the next morning. Oh they needed the machine back on line badly as it was causing a slow down in the entire area. Long story short, I am back to work with no loss of anything, use my phone for tech support and the production foreman is operating a fork lift for at least the next 6 months for being a reactionary dumb A$#. Give a company phone to those who need it and let us that are responsible use our own for business when required. I didn't and don't expect any compensation as it does not cost any more. If you can't trust your workers to be responsible you have a bigger issue..
Hey Mark we get a 25 min first break, 45 min lunch and a 20 min last break, the company pays for 1 hour of this, bet that give you heart pains.

1/7/17       #6: Cell Phones ...
cwwoodworking Member

Hey Tom, Bigger companies give credits to employees that use phones for business. In my area, the amount is about $35/month. They just let the employee pick there phone and give the the 35$.

If it is costing too much, just try some Tracfone's. In my area, they work perfect. Last year, I spent $300 for the whole year. I don't use many minutes, but a lot of text. The beauty is that you can control what its used for.

My wife has the expensive name brand phone. 93$ month. Honestly, functionality wise, there is zero difference between hers and mine. Hers takes better pics and is faster on the web. That's it. really.

1/7/17       #7: Cell Phones ...
cabmaker

We are in the business of communicating ideas.

Better pictures are worth the $93.

1/9/17       #8: Cell Phones ...
cwwoodworking Member

I try not to communicate pretty pictures because I am not a graphic designer. I have someone do that for me. But, your point taken. If I were to partake in pretty picture taking, I would buy a good phone out right, and switch it to tracfone to save money.

Funny thing tonight. My wife and I were sitting in a jr high gym(notorious for bad reception in my area), waiting for a game to start. Both messing around on the web. I could get somewhat service with my 30$ Walmart phone, and her 600$+ phone couldn't get anything.

This is has been my experience for 2 years. Take it for what its worth.

1/12/17       #9: Cell Phones ...
ron bergley  Member

Website: http://www.qualitycustominteriors.com

It doesn't make sense for you to have the employee use their own phone exactly for the reasons you state plus for being able to manage the "business number" the employee has and owns (yikes!). Good smartphones go for under $100 so why would you ever have them use their own? I always give my millwork craftsmen a company phone that I control.

Ron Quality Custom Interiors


Post a Response
  • Notify me of responses to this thread
  • Subscribe to email updates on this Forum
  • To receive email notification of additions to this forum thread,
    enter your name and email address, and then click the
    "Keep Me Posted" button below.

    Please Note: If you have posted a message or response,
    do not submit this request ... you are already signed up
    to receive notification!

    Your Name:
    E-Mail Address:
    Enter the correct numbers into the field below:
     

    Date of your Birth:



    Return to top of page

    Buy & Sell Exchanges | Forums | Galleries | Site Map

    FORUM GUIDELINES: Please review the guidelines below before posting at WOODWEB's Interactive Message Boards (return to top)

  • WOODWEB is a professional industrial woodworking site. Hobbyist and homeowner woodworking questions are inappropriate.
  • Messages should be kept reasonably short and on topic, relating to the focus of the forum. Responses should relate to the original question.
  • A valid email return address must be included with each message.
  • Advertising is inappropriate. The only exceptions are the Classified Ads Exchange, Machinery Exchange, Lumber Exchange, and Job Opportunities and Services Exchange. When posting listings in these areas, review the posting instructions carefully.
  • Subject lines may be edited for length and clarity.
  • "Cross posting" is not permitted. Choose the best forum for your question, and post your question at one forum only.
  • Messages requesting private responses will be removed - Forums are designed to provide information and assistance for all of our visitors. Private response requests are appropriate at WOODWEB's Exchanges and Job Opportunities and Services.
  • Messages that accuse businesses or individuals of alleged negative actions or behavior are inappropriate since WOODWEB is unable to verify or substantiate the claims.
  • Posts with the intent of soliciting answers to surveys are not appropriate. Contact WOODWEB for more information on initiating a survey.
  • Excessive forum participation by an individual upsets the balance of a healthy forum atmosphere. Individuals who excessively post responses containing marginal content will be considered repeat forum abusers.
  • Responses that initiate or support inappropriate and off-topic discussion of general politics detract from the professional woodworking focus of WOODWEB, and will be removed.
  • Participants are encouraged to use their real name when posting. Intentionally using another persons name is prohibited, and posts of this nature will be removed at WOODWEB's discretion.
  • Comments, questions, or criticisms regarding Forum policies should be directed to WOODWEB's Systems Administrator
    (return to top).

    Carefully review your message before clicking on the "Send Message" button - you will not be able to revise the message once it has been sent.

    You will be notified of responses to the message(s) you posted via email. Be sure to enter your email address correctly.

    WOODWEB's forums are a highly regarded resource for professional woodworkers. Messages and responses that are crafted in a professional and civil manner strengthen this resource. Messages that do not reflect a professional tone reduce the value of our forums.

    Messages are inappropriate when their content: is deemed libelous in nature or is based on rumor, fails to meet basic standards of decorum, contains blatant advertising or inappropriate emphasis on self promotion (return to top).

    Libel:   Posts which defame an individual or organization, or employ a tone which can be viewed as malicious in nature. Words, pictures, or cartoons which expose a person or organization to public hatred, shame, disgrace, or ridicule, or induce an ill opinion of a person or organization, are libelous.

    Improper Decorum:   Posts which are profane, inciting, disrespectful or uncivil in tone, or maliciously worded. This also includes the venting of unsubstantiated opinions. Such messages do little to illuminate a given topic, and often have the opposite effect. Constructive criticism is acceptable (return to top).

    Advertising:   The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not an advertising venue. Companies participating in a Forum discussion should provide specific answers to posted questions. WOODWEB suggests that businesses include an appropriately crafted signature in order to identify their company. A well meaning post that seems to be on-topic but contains a product reference may do your business more harm than good in the Forum environment. Forum users may perceive your references to specific products as unsolicited advertising (spam) and consciously avoid your web site or services. A well-crafted signature is an appropriate way to advertise your services that will not offend potential customers. Signatures should be limited to 4-6 lines, and may contain information that identifies the type of business you're in, your URL and email address (return to top).

    Repeated Forum Abuse: Forum participants who repeatedly fail to follow WOODWEB's Forum Guidelines may encounter difficulty when attempting to post messages.

    There are often situations when the original message asks for opinions: "What is the best widget for my type of shop?". To a certain extent, the person posting the message is responsible for including specific questions within the message. An open ended question (like the one above) invites responses that may read as sales pitches. WOODWEB suggests that companies responding to such a question provide detailed and substantive replies rather than responses that read as a one-sided product promotion. It has been WOODWEB's experience that substantive responses are held in higher regard by our readers (return to top).

    The staff of WOODWEB assume no responsibility for the accuracy, content, or outcome of any posting transmitted at WOODWEB's Message Boards. Participants should undertake the use of machinery, materials and methods discussed at WOODWEB's Message Boards after considerate evaluation, and at their own risk. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages it deems inappropriate. (return to top)


  • Forum Posting Help
    Your Name The name you enter in this field will be the name that appears with your post or response (return to form).
    Your Website Personal or business website links must point to the author's website. Inappropriate links will be removed without notice, and at WOODWEB's sole discretion. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    E-Mail Address Your e-mail address will not be publicly viewable. Forum participants will be able to contact you using a contact link (included with your post) that is substituted for your actual address. You must include a valid email address in this field. (return to form)
    Subject Subject may be edited for length and clarity. Subject lines should provide an indication of the content of your post. (return to form)
    Thread Related Link and Image Guidelines Thread Related Links posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should point to locations that provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related Link that directs visitors to an area with inappropriate content will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)
    Thread Related File Uploads Thread Related Files posted at WOODWEB's Forums and Exchanges should provide supporting information for the topic being discussed in the current message thread. Video Files: acceptable video formats are: .MOV .AVI .WMV .MPEG .MPG .MP4 (Image Upload Tips)   If you encounter any difficulty when uploading video files, E-mail WOODWEB for assistance. The purpose of WOODWEB Forums is to provide answers, not to serve as an advertising venue. A Thread Related File that contains inappropriate content will be removed, and uploaded files that are not directly related to the message thread will be removed. WOODWEB reserves the right to delete any messages with links, files, or images it deems inappropriate. (return to form)