Have you ever been with people who are always checking their phone? It probably makes you feel like you are not very important, since they are more interested in their phones than talking to you. Well, that’s how your employer and coworkers will feel if you are attached to your cell phone at work. They might wonder if you care about your job or if you’re paying attention to what they’re saying to you. Each employer has its own set of rules for cell phone use at work. It’s important that you know and follow your employer’s cell phone rules.
Try following these five cell phone use guidelines:
- Phone use during meetings
- Checking messages
- Personal phone calls
- Consider those around you
- Sending text messages
Cell phone use during meetings
Have you ever been sitting in a meeting, a movie theater or a class when all of a sudden someone’s cell phone rings? It’s very distracting, not only for the person whose cell phone is ringing, but also to everyone else in the room. Turn off the sound on your cell phone whenever you’re at work. This is even more important to do during meetings. It’s also a good idea to keep your cell phone put away during meetings. Unless there’s an emergency, there is no need to use your cell phone during a meeting.
Checking your phone
Unless you use your cell phone for work, you should wait to check your phone until you have a break or after work. If you stop working every time you have a new message, you end up wasting time that you should be working. Not only are these regular interruptions distracting, but they make it more difficult to get back to what you were doing. Once your focus has been broken, it takes time to bring it back to what you were doing before.
Personal phone calls
Much like checking your phone, personal phone calls should only be made during breaks or when you’re no longer working. Your employer is paying you to do your job. Unless there is an emergency, it’s not a good idea to make or take personal phone calls while you’re supposed to be working.
Consider those around you
When using your cell phone, it’s important to be considerate of the other people around you. This means act the way you would want others to act towards you. For example, when you’re trying to get work done, you probably don’t want someone talking on the phone right next to your desk.
When you talk on the phone, try to find a private place to talk so that you don’t bother people who are trying to work. If you must take or make a call in a place where others are trying to work, talk quietly and don’t use the speakerphone feature.
Sending text messages
If you need to talk to your boss or a coworker, a text message usually isn’t the best way to communicate. However, if text messaging is allowed at your place of employment, be sure to follow a few basic rules. First of all, always re-read your messages before you send them. Keep the topic professional and appropriate for work. Finally, spell out words completely in order to avoid confusing abbreviations or shortened words. Personal text messages should only be sent and read during breaks or after work. You should not send or read personal messages when you are supposed to be working.
Thanks for tuning in to our post on media rules. If you would like to learn more about teaching workplace readiness skills, click the free trial link below.
