Make your cell phone policies practical for modern workplaces

Q         Our company wants to implement a policy to limit personal cell phone usage only to break times. Can we ask workers to put their phones in their work lockers or on their supervisors’ desks?

While such a policy may be impractical in many workplaces, neither Idaho nor federal law prohibits placing restrictions on personal calls during working hours so long as the policy is administered and enforced in a nondiscriminatory fashion.

Depending on your company’s specific work environment, the policy shouldn’t be so restrictive that it prevents an employee from receiving or making private calls related to childcare, medication, medical issues, and healthcare visits. If employees are anticipating such a call, it’s advisable that your policy allows them access to personal cell phones outside break times.

Jason R. Mau is a shareholder in the Boise office of Parsons Behle & Latimer. He can be reached at 208-562-4898 or jmau@parsonsbehle.com.