[Chris Cottrell]

I wonder how you guys feel about employees using their mobile phones while working.  I have a guy working for me who is either texting or phoning his friends to the extent that it is now affecting his work and also there is the safety issue, you can't work with a pole extended 25ft in the air in one hand and a phone in the other.

Does anyone know of any legislation/guidelines governing the use of mobile phones in the work place.

I have told him to put the phone away numerous times, but so far he seems to think I'm joking.  Do I have the right to make him leave his phone in the van, if he was working in an office I am sure this would not be a factor.

[Steve CM]

All sounds a bit heavy!

I would just point it out if i thought it was a problem. Tell him to leave the phone in the van while on a job and chat to his mates either between jobs or give him an allocated time (ie on a break etc...)

I had a guy work for me that seemed to be on the phone to his missus every 2 seconds. he didn't last long with me so i never pointed it out but it was starting to nark me

[CLEANCARE WC]

of course you can chris, your paying him to do a job he wouldnt get away with that in another environment office etc. I would say the exception to the rule is if its someone who has there own business helping you, but even then once they have taken the "important" calls they should promptly wind it up and get back to work.

[darren clarke]

dock his wages  every minute he is on the phone

[Crystal-clear]

most jobs you cant use phone and work ,when i start to employ i will place this in the contract.

[mci services]

My lad was good when it came to the phone and always told hits mates to f off when they phoned him at work, but he was well warned prior to starting.

I know a guy that was that fed up he snatched the phone of the worker switched it of and gave him it back at the end of the shift.

[ant french]

theres a mechanic down the road from me who has a lad work for him and this lad has a fAg break every hour so the owner told him to ease off the smoking its taking time up and he thought it was a joke and at the end of the week he added up he spent almost 3 hours avin a fAg so he took 3 hrs off  his wages lol. he soon cut down on a fAg. do the same to that lad, its ur business ur in charge 

[Chris Cottrell]

I think i'm going to try with him leaving it in the van today, one of my concerns is that he has an elderly uncle in a care home and i'm sure he will say he needs it with him incase of emergencies so not quite sure how i'm going to respond to that

[Paul Coleman]

I wonder how you guys feel about employees using their mobile phones while working.  I have a guy working for me who is either texting or phoning his friends to the extent that it is now affecting his work and also there is the safety issue, you can't work with a pole extended 25ft in the air in one hand and a phone in the other.

Does anyone know of any legislation/guidelines governing the use of mobile phones in the work place.

I have told him to put the phone away numerous times, but so far he seems to think I'm joking.  Do I have the right to make him leave his phone in the van, if he was working in an office I am sure this would not be a factor.

I don't employ but I would find it irritating unless it was occasional.  I would say OK to leave the line open in case of urgent family stuff.  Schools need a phone number to contact in emergency in case a child goes sick and his might be the family's only option - but apart from stuff like that I wouldn't put up with it.  Anyway, those would be incoming calls.
Why not secretly send him a text with a message saying "While you have been reading this message, you could have cleaned two panes of glass" 

[Paul Coleman]

I think i'm going to try with him leaving it in the van today, one of my concerns is that he has an elderly uncle in a care home and i'm sure he will say he needs it with him incase of emergencies so not quite sure how i'm going to respond to that

Emergencies like that tend to be incoming calls.  I would not have an issue with that so long as the uncle wasn't just phoning for a general chat.

[Smudger]

Hi Chris - i agree that this is a problem and you def, can't wfp and use the phone. as an employer you need to make sure there is a proper paper trail so there is no come back or cry's of victimisation (!?) which depends on how long he's been employed - i would warn him that the phone is for emergencies only and follow that up with a letter stating this - if that fails than you supply him with your mobile number for him to pass onto family incase of emergency and for his to be turned off until lunch time

many factories do not alloe mobiles - but you can carry one for emergencies - if your caught using for other reasons then it's usually a written warning

Darran

[Helen]

I think i'm going to try with him leaving it in the van today, one of my concerns is that he has an elderly uncle in a care home and i'm sure he will say he needs it with him incase of emergencies so not quite sure how i'm going to respond to that

Why not have a compromise? He can carry the phone, but must not use it whilst working as this is against  your H & S rules. He can always set up a "different" ring tone for the care home. If this doesn't work them you have to get tough, do you work beside him? If so monitor it for a day or so and at the end of the week have a chat about it and say that if it continues you will have no other choice than to give him a verbal warning as he is contravening your H & S rules.

[Frankybadboy]

how did you get on chris..

[Chris Cottrell]

Well the mobile came out of his pocket 2 seconds after he got into the van this morning so I did take that as my que to inform him that I had an issue with his constant use of it, also asked him to keep its use to emergencies only

I did explain to him that I had observed on 2 occasions him using his phone with a pole up in the air and that there was a H & S issue also that he had badly cleaned 2 windows because of being on the phone at the time, I did suggest the he explain this to his girlfriend too

I am now pleased to say that the phone as far as i'm aware has stayed in his pocket today with the exception of lunchtime he did use it then




On another note I would like to say thankyou to the guy that called me today for an offline chat (who will remain nameless i'm sure you'll appreciate that)  this was very helpful and much appreciated and will look forward to the reading material that too will be extremely helpful

[Blue Frog Systems]

Know its sorted now, but you could use the insurance card....

Tell him that if he dropped the pole and damaged something whilst using his mobile, that the insurance wouldn't pay out and it would come out of his wages.

Give him an example like £2k worth of damage to a car.... Would make me think and stop.

[G Griffin]

On another note I would like to say thankyou to the guy that called me today for an offline chat (who will remain nameless i'm sure you'll appreciate that)  this was very helpful and much appreciated and will look forward to the reading material that too will be extremely helpful

Were you working at the time? 

[Chris Cottrell]

On another note I would like to say thankyou to the guy that called me today for an offline chat (who will remain nameless i'm sure you'll appreciate that)  this was very helpful and much appreciated and will look forward to the reading material that too will be extremely helpful

Were you working at the time? 

half on my lunch break n half on my bluetooth lol