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The biggest little problem I have heard lately is employees texting on the job.
One text message is no big deal. You lose a minute or so of productivity per text message. But what happens when someone receives and sends 30 text messages an hour as they carry on at least three conversations?
I recently heard this story about a veterinary clinic. One client came in with a dog having seizures. The employee behind the desk barely acknowledged the client and said, “Sign in and someone will be with you,” as she continued to text away. Apparently, a dog having seizures wasn’t important enough to delay sending an LOL or OMG.
I also know of a medical records department that struggles with productivity. Some in that office consistently miss their deadlines. Others, who finish their responsibilities each week, take time to help their colleagues catch up. But while they are being helped, they are texting away on their phones. No wonder they are always behind!
This problem with productivity is only going to get worse.
Things like Facebook, ESPN.com, or celebrity gossip trash sites cost productivity. For now there is a simple solution: Many companies have filters that prevent internet browsing during business hours.
Once mobile device browsing surpasses PC browsing in a couple of years, companies won’t have the ability to easily block access to time wasting webpages.
One aspect of employee evaluations should eventually include a log from the cell phone provider showing when people are texting and browsing the internet during business hours. Is that so different than the police getting phone and texting records to determine fault after an accident?
Is the day coming when there will be a texting break just like there used to be a smoking break? As an employer, don’t you want your employees to give you all the time you pay them for?
How can you realistically solve this problem? Is this something you just let slide for certain positions?
I couldn’t agree with you more, my employee bought a new phone about 3 months ago and lately that’s all he’s been doing is text messaging his friend I have caught him a few times and told him, if I catch him again, I will write him up.
What do you have to do to get a full 8 hours out of your employees; this system is really screwed up. Heck if we got caught evening talking to friend during normal business hours there where consequence. Now we have to fight with staff to do their job.
The lady that was texting while a dog was having seizures, personally I would have grab the “Freaking phone” right-out of her hands. Especially in a life or death situation. That individual should have been dismissed from her job until further notice.
We are not here paying people to text 20 to 30 times a day, as a Boss I have it to, but my phone never leaves my purse until I am out of the office.
I don’t have enough time in a day to be playing with texting.
We need stricter laws and enforce them during business hours. If the employee gets caught, once, or even twice they get written up, the third time they should be dismissed without pay for 2 days. There are thousands of people that need jobs today and take their jobs seriously. We need to put a stop to all of this. Here we’re in the 20th century and everything changes from generations to generations.
What’s Next?