Banning Cell Phones at Work
Hallelujah! Someone has finally had the courage to ban cell phones in the workplace.
Last Friday, after one texting trolley driver rear-ended another trolley, and in the course of doing so injured 50 people, the Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority banned drivers from using cell phones while on the clock. One official was quoted as saying, “[I]f you’re caught with one [a cell phone], you will be fired.”
As cell phones have become nearly ubiquitous—recently, the number of households that use cell phones as their primary means of connecting with the outside world surpassed the number of households using land lines—I’ve wondered when someone would finally declare “enough is enough!” It seems that we’ve all become too familiar with this technology and its consequences. Not long ago, we might have been nonplussed by the person who loudly spoke on their mobile line as they walked up and down the hallways at work. Now, we seem to have become accustomed to those conversations, treating them as yet another annoyance that we must accept as developments in new technology continue to spring forth. Maybe the Boston experience suggests, however, that grudging acceptance need not be given.
The decision by the Massachusetts transportation officials reflects an understanding that cell phone use can be dangerous. (In other blog postings, I’ve noted studies that indicate people who use their cell phones in the car truly are driving in an impaired state.) Those same cell phone calls may also be disruptive in a workplace.
To the extent you bring a cell phone to work, commit to using it just as you would use a land line. Place phone calls in the privacy of your office or cubicle. Speak in an office-appropriate manner, using a quiet voice and language choices that are work appropriate. Keep personal calls to a minimum. Always be aware that how you use technology impacts other people in your workplace. Ensure that your cell phone use never disrupts the thought processes of others.
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