Q&A with The Workplace Advisors – June 2025

In today’s always-connected world, it’s common to see employees checking their phones—even during work hours. But when it starts to affect customer perception or productivity, employers may wonder what’s acceptable and how to address it. Here's one employer's concern and some practical guidance on how to handle it.

Question: My employees seem to always be on their phones. I think it is a bad look for our customers and diminishes productivity. Is this the norm? What can I do about it? 

Answer: Every employer can expect their employees to do their jobs during paid work time - that is what you pay the employee to do. However, not every employee or workplace is the same, so you need to evaluate how critical it is to enforce a no-phones policy, as well as the possible repercussions.

In general, employees who work low-skilled jobs, are paid the minimum wage, do not receive benefits, and work long hours are less likely to have a job that is truly impacted by some phone time, unless it is keeping them from helping customers or performing other time-sensitive duties. But these employees are also more likely to be able to leave with no notice and get a similar job somewhere else, leaving you shorthanded.

Alternatively, some workplaces are such that just having a phone in an area, let alone one in use, could create serious safety concerns, so that prohibition should be strictly enforced. Consider offering rest and meal breaks so they can use their phones safely and responsibly.

In other situations, some employees may have a legitimate business reason to use their phone, such as talking or texting with a client, watching a how-to video, or researching an answer to a question. If you don't want them to use their phones, offer them alternative ways to complete their tasks.

Overall, evaluate your workplace, the tasks being performed, and the actual impact of phone usage during work hours, as well as the potential impact of your strict restrictions. Find ways to balance employees' desire to use their phones with the productivity or image you want and need them to uphold.