Does anyone have a policy regarding the use of cell phones at work? This is getting out of control. I have hourly subs and employees that can’t go for a full hour without getting some sort of trivial phone call that causes them to wander aimlessly about the job babbeling away with wife / girlfriend / father / mother/ kids …. you name it and they call.
Latest is a 45 y/o, very good carpenter who’s girlfriend 18 years younger feels compelled to call him 10 times a day with such important news like… she is gassy. He could be up a ladder doing 2 story crown and drops everything to answer the phone ….while everyone waits.
I’m thinking of making everyone deposit their phone in a bucket in the morning and they can have it back when they are off the clock.
Any suggestions?
Replies
"He could be up a ladder doing 2 story crown and drops everything to answer the phone ....while everyone waits."
With that said,how come he hasn't been fired yet????????????????
It goes like this; turn off your phone, you can check messages at break and lunch. Give your wife and kids my # to call in case of emergency. You get 2 emergencies a year.
The awful thing is that beauty is mysterious as well as terrible. God and the devil are fighting there, and the battlefield is the heart of man.
- Fyodor Dostoyevski
we had a 300 yard concrete pour into a pump. so thats a $200 a hour pump and twenty people. the driver of the mixer truck would not get off the cell phone. people waiting and he wonder why he got sent back to plant with a perfectly good load of concrete.
Sucks to be on the client side of that, too. Every excavator I've used has been bad about this...especially when I'm paying by the hour.
I dunno about policy, but as an employee, I feel it's common sense to either not answer it or hang up quick. My wife should also have enough sense to not call me all the time. It was different when it was only my time, but now it's also someone else's.
That being said, there are more problems there than just the phone issue?!. I mean, you're telling that this guy doesn't have enough courtesy to either leave the phone in the truck or tell the missus to limit the calls? Sounds like he needs an attitude adjustment. What kind of time gets wasted when you aren't there? I'll bet it's not just phone time!
Quality, Craftsmanship, Detail
A former employee of mine used to talk on his cellphone non-stop. When he finally pushed me to the edge after hinting that he should call them back, he went and bought an ear piece. When I told him that he could NOT work and talk at the same time, I told him that listening to him mush talk with his girlfriend was annoying, and he couldn't anticipate my next move. I ended up having to let him go....
Sorry to read that you're having to deal with this problem, but you're not alone!
Edited 5/5/2005 11:37 pm ET by Jack
Say you normally hand out paycheques at 4pm on Fridays. That's tomorrow, right? Arrange for your wife to call you exactly at quitting time. Then keep the crew waiting while you jabber on for 10 minutes. When you hang up, give out one cheque so one guy can drive away (which will drive the others crazy) then answer her second call. Talk for another 5 minutes. Then hand out the cheques to the others.
If they say anything, remind the good ones that you have a no phone calls policy (other than at lunch) and fire the bad ones.
Keep this up every Friday until they get the message that from 8 to 4, their time is your time, period.
very nice
No calls during working hours, period! And it doesn't matter if you are hourly, salaried or contracted to a fixed price. No phones is no phones - unless it is business related, ie boss to forman, forman to supply house...
That's why we have answering machines and voicemail. They can check their messages and return calls during breaks, lunchtime and after work. That's it. No exceptions, none.
If you're caught on the phone at any other time, you are sent home and have the following day off - no pay. The second time you get the next day off, and the next, and the next... Get the picture?
It is disrespectful to the crewmates. If they can't finish because they are a man short when one is on the phone, there won't be any money in the budget for raises, bonuses, company lunches, etc.
Oh, one more thing. This is not only an efficiency issue. It is a BIG safety issue too. If they are communicating with someone on the phone, they are not commincating with the crew. It's a true recipe for a disaster.
Time for a major Site Meeting.
Frankie
I provide Nextel phones to my primary subs so I can get in touch with them when I need them. I pay for the radio part of the bill, they're responsible for the cell part. Everyone's extra minutes go in a pool for whoever (usually me) needs them.
I had one guy who was talking nonstop. After a couple of months of $1000 bills and getting docked for the time spent on the phone on the jobsite (I get an itemized bill), he had me turn the cell feature off (which turned his wife off). She has about one emergency a month when she calls me to beep him.
One other crew leader choose to have his own cell phone (which he leaves in the truck), but carries a Nextel with the cell turned off.
STOP, DROP, ..............ROCK 'N' ROLL
Thanks everyone.
Seems I'm not alone with this problem. Phones are a real pet peeve with me. If I get 1 call a day on mine that's alot. I don't give out the number to many people and the meassage on it says call my business number and leave a detailed message. My cell is strictly for MY convienience not everyone elses.
The sub that has the problem has moved way down the call list when there is work to be done.
Cell phone abusers should take note that customers and employers do notice and when action is necessary it's too late.
Carp is 45 years old with a girlfriend that is 18 years younger than he is........ I'd have to take that call also! just kidding.
One of the guy's wife just bought new phones for themselves, their 1st cells. All of a sudden they find a 'need' to keep in touch through out the day.
His take on cell phone usage; "the boss should bid jobs as so we have spare time to have phone calls....if not, he'll find a job that you can".ahh....what was the question ?
This is a very serious problem. Much more serious than its getting credit as of yet.
I believe that the problem is in the millions of stolen time. At least.
Nuther point is that its a figgure of non production than rarely can be calculated in my point of view. Yer just not there all the time in so many cases to handle it. Smoking is bad enough and has been tolerated for years.
Sounds like Im being radical.
If some one is drawing a rate of pay for 8 hrs a day , then it should be 8 full hours with the exception if the employer gives breaks which most often they do. The thought never crosses the employees mind is they dont earn those breaks. They are given by gracious employers. How may times have you been "thanked " for giving breaks ? Im not kidding . On big crews or a few small crews employers are handing out a hundred dollar bill each break. Does 100 dollars a day given away for breaks to employees sound reasonable? That figgure alone is 30,000 per year!
Now we are dealing with cell phones. Many examples . Ive had a problem for years paying a garage or machine shop by the hour and be there waiting while they waited on other customers either in person or answering the phone . I had a trailer break a weld and had it at the welding shop. I was there till I got it fixed as I needed the trailer and the man said he could get right on it . He took four telephone calls and waited on two customers . I was there a total of two hours from start to finish and was awarded a bill of two hours work at shop time. I refused to pay it and advised an hour would be quite generous. Evidently the man was pizzed and believed he was actually owed the two hours. That was truly his mind set . He never figgured it was stealing at all and was normal business he ran every day which he sternly shared with me. He told me to write the check for an hour and not to come back. I wrote the check for the full bill of two hours and told him I wanted the option of comming back. I havent been back and wont if I can help it but the driveway should be open. The bottom line to that story is that we still disagree. He thought I was being an azz and I think he was being dishonest. Theres no doubt in my mind he still thinks that and Im not changing my mind.
Tim Mooney
I don't think you're being radical or unreasonable, Tim. This has been a pet peeve of mine for the last few years, & I can totally relate to your points.What if the situation were reversed & these guys who are the most blatant offenders had to pony up money for services billed, but not rendered to them? (Like you had to with the welding shop.) Think their attitude would change if they saw it from a different side- a side that cost them? What ever happened to 8 hours pay for 8 hours work? I think that as business owners, we have to set policies & enforce them. Part of the reason this is such a problem could be we don't put our foot down enough & tell our employees how it's going to be. How many "major" companies would put up with this type of nonsense? Certain people are going to take advantage of a situation if you let them, unfortunately. At least if you see them abusing a privilege, you know what they're all about, & it should make your decision easier as to what to do with them. In my view, if they're abusing one situation, it's only a matter of time before they try to take advantage of others. It's the proverbial "give him an inch & he'll try to take a mile".
This is great. I completely believe Tim. I see this happen all of the time. It happens to me, to other people around me.
We're in an age where the cell is almost mandatory business equipment. I have 2 phones and I literally hate them both enough that I get mad just from hearing the darn things ring. But if I don't answer, I don't have jobs. Which puts me in a different boat than an employee who's yapping with the honey. But I have ground rules which help me stay moderately sane at least 3 days out of the week.
If I'm talking face to face with someone and the phone rings, I have voicemail.
I don't have to leave voicemail with the guys I know and call regularly. Let it ring twice, if they haven't gotten it, they have caller id and get the idea. I'm just wasting their time by making them log in to their mail and listen to me saying duh its me call me.
Nextel radio is awesome for other tradesfolk. I'm debating paying my electrician's bill for a month just to get his phone back on (yeah, just don't ask, thanks)
"If you pick up a starving dog and make him prosperous, he will not bite you. This is the principal difference between a dog and a man." - Mark Twain
This is one of those things that is the EMPLOYERS fault not the the employees. You've already allowed them to abuse your time, now they feel entitled. I would have a meeting, tell them no personal phone calls, unless on break or an emergency call that goes to your phone. They get one warning then start docking them 1/2 hour or an hour, don't threaten them, just do it. Make it a line item on their pay stub, and when they complain make it clear you are enforcing new policy.
The thing to remember is YOU are the boss, not friend, or foe, just boss.
If it continues to be a problem fire them. Productivity affects your wallet, not theirs, don't let them control your money.
All reasons I work alone, productive help is hard to find.
dustinf-
If he were an employee I'd fire him on the spot. He was an hourly sub.... notice the key word "was".
And for everyones enjoyment I questioned one of his helpers about his telephone habits. Well it seems this is the norm and the vast majority of his calls are personal drivel. The good part is I'm no longer paying the full frieght on this slacker.... we all do, cause he deducts his entire cell phone expenses from his taxes. His bill averages over $750 per month.
He says thanks.
$750/month phone bill??? You gotta be kidding.
Someone on here said the average 1st employee in a two person operation adds .6 to the productivity of the 1.0 boss. So the net output of 2.0 people is 1.6. So if you pay out 2/3's of what you make per hour for the help you loose money. More work done but a loss in net income.What was the thread about?Oh yeah, cell phones......I'm a one man band, like you. I am in a business group that meets for lunch once a week and if your phone goes off in the meeting--you pay $5. The "cell phone prohibtion fund" goes to charity, but I only violated the rule once so far.
They dish out some fun-natured scorn and charge for those annoying calls.This approach might work on a job site. The fund could go to tool maintenance and offset the productivity loss from the interruption.Cell phones are not just distracting, time wasting, and a safety concern--they also can lead to "Tyranny of the Urgent." Many "legitimate business calls"
can pull people away from the "Important" to attend to the "Urgent but Unimportant."I used to have a boss who had mental diarrhea. I would just get set up at one job and he would send me to another (just because it was on his mind). I'd waste time lugging tools to the van, driving across town, and set up again and then still have to head back to the first job after putting out the fire.I finally learned that being a good employee is not alway jumping when the boss asks. I had to start doing what was best for the business, not doing whatever the boss thought of at the moment. I'd say, "You know, that task will not hold up our schedule if it waits a day and I'll be in that neighborhood tomorrow--can it wait 'til then." He'd say, "Oh, that should work." Some people need to be protected from all of this instant access to the work force.This said, Yesterday the cell phone saved me a couple of times. I got to find out that the electrician didn't show at a kitchen remodel, so that project is on hold 'til next Wed. Made a call and moved another project up to Monday. Realized that moving that one to Monday will save a separate trip to Lake City to look at another job since I'll drive right through there--I'll save an hour (so I'll have an extra hour to squander here at Breaktime).
Edited 5/7/2005 12:06 pm ET by basswood
Man, I love this tread. Nothing pizzes me off more than cell phones. My step son works with me and thinks its no big deal to take calls from the girl friend. What a waste of time to the American work force. It's a little tough to fire him but I've told him, don't even ask for another raise while your still taking calls at work. I can't wait until they announce that excessive use of a cell phone causes impotency.
Bear
Ahh this brings us to the new, age old question. What did we do before cell phones came along? We got work done.
I carry two phones, personel and company. Call me goofy but I don't think my boss should have to pay for my personel phone time. Any personel calls I get while working I return at lunch or when I'm driving. And the work phone (Nextel) is kept to short work related business, and hooking up with Sphere. (Thanks to Greencu)
It always cracks me up when I'm on a new construction site and there's a problem. The first thing all parties do is start calling someone on their phone to ask them what to do. Used to be everyone on site put their heads together and solved the problem.
Who Dares Wins!
Well....then, ya gotta hire deaf employees! I'm one of them and don't have a cell phone.
Yep we got guys like you just said, they do stop their work and chat away, I'm the only one keeps on doing the job. I put out more work than they do at the end of the shift.
A few general rules seem to be common with some of the better electrical contractors. At least the ones who are organized and plan ahead. Sometimes these rules more tacit than documented.
Carrying cell phones on the job is discouraged for anyone but the foreman or lead man. Much better if they are turned off and left in the truck. For coordination and safety the senior man carries a phone which is always on. Preferably one supplied by the company with a number only known by the office or answering service.
Employees are informed that if they choose to carry a phone it is expected to be turned off. Also if the phone is damaged the company will not be responsible for repairs or replacement. If the phone is lost, in a crawl space, attic or ditch no time will be allocated for the employee to find it. If they want to return on their own time, assuming they can gain access without the company getting involved, they are welcome to do so.
Any family or friends of employees are welcome to call the office or answering service who will, depending on the urgency of the message and established protocol, contact the foreman on the job who can then alert the employee that he or she should address the situation. At least one guy had it arranged that he would call the answering service at set intervals, typically every two hours or so, to retrieve messages. Only emergencies were called into him. This saved him a lot of interruptions but demanded a considerable amount of organization and finesse.
In rare situations, as long as the employee and callers can keep it within reason, an employee is allowed to carry a cell phone for compassionate reasons. The most common being the employee has a pregnant and late-term wife or girlfriend.
Are you making this up?
Who Dares Wins!
I'm not sure what your saying. Are you saying you or the contractors you work with lack any controls or lack the ability to limit employee use? That they feel compelled to pay or replace employee cell phones that are lost or destroyed on the job? That cell phone numbers can't be kept confidential so only the office or boss are the only major callers outside of wrong numbers? Or changed if they are extensively compromised? That a foreman can't discipline himself to call the office several times during the day? I can't say I know any single contractor of crew which explicitly instituted all the provisions I outlined in an ironclad manner. One guy I worked for came close. Most of the electrical contractors I respect have some controls in place even if it is only the foreman strongly suggesting the phones be left in the truck and warning that any damage incurred on the job is on the employee.When I started out most jobs only had a phone in the trailer by the gate. Really big jobs, at least since the 80s, often had walkie talkies that would link up with the GCs office or contractors trailers. There were no cell phones. Not uncommonly there were rural jobs with no phones at all. Placing a call involved driving down to the Piggly Wiggly with a stack of quarters and using a pay phone. Somehow even without every rent-a-drunk and ditch digger having a phone in his pocket a whole lot of stuff got built. I remember foremen who would leave the office with a crew in the morning and considered driving to a pay phone to call the office at lunch a burden. If the office wanted to contact the crew, in case of an emergency or major change in plan, the big boss or his gopher would drive out to deliver the message.
What we are saying is simple. People are out of control with cell phones. Its not just at work. Everybody drives while talking on one, eats in restaurants while on the phone, walk into stores on the cell. Why not work while talking on the phone? You can implement all the rules you want, unless you have mature, dedicated people, which is unlikely, they will be talking on the cell phone making personal calls at some point in the day.
If you don't think your employees are, you are very lucky or very stupid. Even with strict consequences, when you are gone calls are most likely being made.
Employees never see it as doing any thing wrong, it's only a phone call and its only for a few minutes! Just add it all up at the end of a week.Bear
I agree a lot of people are so attached to their cell phones that many have taken it as a given than they can call or answer any time and anywhere. As if this were a civil right.But even this assumption isn't without boundaries. I have seen the look when a helper suddenly realizes his phone is buried in a ditch. A 5' deep 400' long ditch. It might as well be on the dark side of the moon. Word gets out that perhaps the phones are better left in the truck.A phone that shatters after falling 30' onto concrete enforces a similar concept. Perhaps trim and deck carpenters don't face such hazards. Even without any rules, or resort to authority, reality can enforce behaviors.On the more punitive side I have seen the look when a foreman gives a version of the 'If I hear a ring or see anyone talking on a phone they are fired' speech. The people who don't know better think it is a joke. It hits home when someone gets fired. Word gets around. I have seen people fired for far less.Given a reality people will adapt.
Someone touched on the safety issue. New England Journal of Medicine had an article some years ago on cell phone use while driving. They researched auto accidents versus cell phone use times. Controlled for cell use immediately after accidents.
Even with a number of very conservative assumptions, the risk ratio was 5. Five times more likely to have an accident while talking than not. Which equates to driving legally drunk. And the real risk (w/o those assumptions) is even higher.
Earphones makes no difference. Cell phone companies promote that as a red herring - they bill the same minutes either way. But you can drive and eat a burger just fine - you got two hands. You CAN NOT drive with your attention on a conversation - you got only one brain.
And driving is easy. I can drive 16 hours a day. Construction is hard. Up ladders, hauling stuff, balancing, power tools.
You're either being unproductive or unsafe on a cell phone. Or both.
Not to dispute any research or anything, but I cant see any difference between a phone conversation and a passenger yabbering in your ear for the same length of time.
Just wondering........
Everything, 100% of it, depends on how you look at it.
DW
The difference of talking to someone as a passenger in your car is they can also perceive a situation that requires your attention and curtail the conversation. The person on the other end of a phone call has know idea when you need to refocus to the traffic at hand.
One more thing about all the rules about cell phones, if you have people working for you with cell phones in their pockets, a large number of them are using them when you are not in sight.Bear
Of course you could always do this,for the office guys http://www.big-boys.com/articles/throwpaper.htmlHave fun.
funny i just found that a couple days ago.
spent some time there too lol
AJ -
Actually there's a lot of difference between a cell phone conversation and talking to a passenger.
A passenger is much more aware of your driving situation and "understands" that your hesitations, pauses, and silences are due to something happening around you that requires your full attention. The person on the cell phone has no way of knowing what's going on around you so they're going to keep right on talking while some moron swerves into your lane at 60 mph without using a turn signal. - lol
A few years ago, I was working for a company headquartered in Denver and I had a company vehicle equipped with a "hands-free" cell phone hookup. As I drove to work every morning, I had a "morning meeting" with my boss. That worked pretty well but we limited the conversations to routine matters and waited until I was in my office before we had any serious discussions.
A recent study conducted at the U of Minnesota found that distracted driving (cell phone, eating, talking to a fellow passenger, fiddlin' w/ radio or climate controls) was as bad or worse than DUI.For the study they had to get volunteers at the college campus willing get drunk with out paying for the drinks......and participants willing to talk on cell phones with out paying for the minutes--must have been a hard sell!Actually, they discovered that messing with tunes or heat/air controls is considerably worse than DUI or cell phone.
Edited 5/7/2005 12:07 pm ET by basswood
Once or twice I've been as distracted by passangers as by a cell phone. Usually a long drive, an interesting conversation and I miss my turn. But cell phone are consistently that distracting. Look up and F**K! where'd that moose-truck-turn-icy patch come from!I think it is several factors. The cell phone caller doesn't know to shut up when a semitruck is bearing down on you. And so much of your attention goes to making yourself understood over the cell phone. You're paying attention to hear if you can start talking, thinking about the conversation itself, and what it was he last said before you said, "can you hear me?"Now, I almost always pull over to take a call. Middle of nowhere, dry pavement, no moose, I'll chat and drive. But not around town.David Thomas Overlooking Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska