The Headache:
How do you handle employees’ personal cell phones at work?

 

We bumped into an old banking friend at a convention, talking about a speaker who had discussed the challenges of managing Generation X. Over coffee, she shared a pet peeve. Some younger employees keep their personal cell phones on while working. One even has one of those “bluetooth” hands-free gadgets dangling from their ear all day. She wondered what other bank executives were doing about this. So we asked Pass the Aspirin prescribers, “Does your bank have a policy banning or otherwise controlling or limiting use of personal cell phones during business hours?” Here’s what we heard. And if you have some thoughts on this matter, send them to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Remedy 1
Charles R. Haley, president, Peoples Bank, $150.4 million-assets, Eatonton, Ga.

 

We have been forced to have “conversations” with several of our younger officers about cell phone use. I (and several other members of senior staff) have told them they should not be spending a great deal of time on cells.

We have made it clear that they should not be receiving a large number of personal calls while at the bank, on any device.

This is an issue that requires a little emotional maturity. Frankly, it is time to make the rules clear to younger officers.

Lastly, flexibility is the name of the game. If lenders are out calling on customers they may be giving out their cell phones for convenience. They should attempt at some point to move customers’ calling habits from cell phones to office phones, however.

Remedy 2
Marilyn Sessions, human resources specialist, Home Savings Bank, $105.6 million-assets, Kent, Ohio.

 

For security purposes, employees are not permitted to have their cell phones turned on at work—at all. Very few cell phones do not have cameras on them and we prohibit cell phones due to that reason.

A Bluetooth is completely out of the question. We stress customer care as our focus, and if a family member needs to reach a bank employee urgently, they can call the operator or the employee at their desk.

In fact, customers are not permitted to use cell phones in the lobby, either, as account numbers can be easily and quickly photographed and not be detected with the built-in cameras. We post a sign requesting cell phones to be turned off.

Remedy 3
Frank L. Carson, III, president and CEO, Mulvane State Bank, $77.5 million-assets, Mulvane, Kan.

 

Personal cell calls on the job? Absolutely not! All cell phones are turned off during banking hours. No text messaging, period. If someone is needed in an emergency, they can be called at the bank and that is monitored.

Remedy 4
Mike Murphy, executive vice-president and CFO, First American Bank, $276 million-assets, Norman, Okla.

 

Our Personnel Handbook states clearly:
”Employees are expected to use good judgment in the amount of time spent during working hours on personal telephone calls. Employees are never to accept personal collect telephone calls, or receive any non-business calls on the toll-free line. Employees are never to place personal long-distance telephone calls on bank telephones, regardless of their intention to reimburse the bank for the cost of the call.”

The handbook further states:
“The use of cell phones in the banking centers is prohibited. Cell phones should be kept on ‘silent’ or ‘meeting’ [settings] and calls unrelated to work should be returned on breaks or after working hours. Cell phones in other banking areas should also be kept on ‘silent’ or ‘meeting and personal calls should be kept to a minimum.”

Remedy 5
Richard Chenoweth, president and CEO, The Rawlins National Bank, $153.4 million-assets, Rawlins, Wyo.

 

We allow employees to carry their cell phones with them while at work. We allow them to accept and respond to emergency-type calls while working. But, other than in an emergency, we only permit them to use the cell phone while on break or during lunch. We don’t allow the employees to use a Bluetooth device, however, while working.

Remedy 6
Ron Kranz, president and CEO, First State Bank and Trust, $191 million-assets, Fremont, Neb.

 

We ask that all cell phones be turned off when they enter the bank unless they are on break or lunch.  I prefer that people do not carry them during banking hours as they are here to answer our phones and wait on our customers.

Remedy 7
Katie Echols, human resources officer, Robertson Banking Company, $216.1 million-assets, Demopolis, Ala.

 

We do not have a policy that directly speaks to the use of a cell phone while on the job. However, we do have a policy that limits personal calls at work, whether incoming or outgoing. Personal calls are a distraction and cut down on productivity. Cell phone usage that is not business-related should be handled during breaks and lunch hours. Supervisors need to be charged with enforcing this policy.

Send your own “headache” questions to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .

 

The electronic version of this article available at: http://lb.ec2.nxtbook.com/nxtbooks/sb/ababj0108/index.php?startid=20

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