Are there any guidelines for personal cell phone usage in your office?

Question

Where I work, personal cell phones are constantly ringing. The ringtones are usually loud and distracting. And of course you have to listen to many of the conversations. I'm one of the few people in my office who don't have a cell phone, so I'm not sure how to complain.

Answer 1

Where I work you are not allowed to use your cellphone unless you are on a break or at lunch. Just because you CAN be reached anywhere doesn't mean you SHOULD talk on the phone. If it's not work related, then it should wait.

I think people are under the assumption that they have the right to talk on the phone whenever they want. As long as their phone has reception they think they should be talking to someone.

Very unprofessional. Would you like it if your doctor of dentist answered personal calls during your appointment? Why isn't everyone held to a standard of ethics at work? There is such a thing as office etiquette and the people that blindly blather about their gynecological problems or what to cook for dinner should be written up. It's crapola.

You should complain. I would. It's unprofessional, it's a waste of company time, it distracts everyone, and it's unnessary. If it's an emergency, then use the landline and call into the office. At least the company receptionist can tell your boss who's getting personal calls. With everyone on their cellphones all the time there is no line of delineation between work and not work-realted.

I'm in the medical field and refuse to help patients that do not shut up and turn off their phones. Even in areas clearly marked "Please turn off your cellphones" and "No cellphone use" in the hospital, people are using their freakin' cell phones.

The things I have heard are just outrageous. Like the guy in Starbucks that got the pump of lube and the pump of Soft Soap confused. He had to call in sick due to "frothy butt!!" He said ALL of this on his cellphone in public. What the he!! is that?? You're gonna talk about your night of anal sex with a stranger, and improper choice of lubes, in a public coffee shop full of stangers? Hello? We can hear you!!

What about the people that wear their i-pods at work. If you have to deal with people in your office or the general public, why the he!! are you listening to your i-pod? I swear the next thing is gonna be masturbation in cubicles.

Answer 2

Where I work there are rules about cell phones. Loud ring tones are forbidden, we must keep our ring tones as low as possible and preferrably just use vibration instead of a ring tone. Our desk phones have their ring tones set on the lowest too to limit unnecessary distractions. You can hear your phone if you're sitting at your desk, but the person at the next desk barely hears it ringing. I think the rules they have at my work are good. I'd go nuts if I had to listen to 25 phones and another 25 cell phones ring all day long.

Maybe you could discuss this with your supervisor and explain how distracting this is and suggest that some rules will be made about this.

Answer 3

I work in a car dealership and we are not supposed to use our cell phones, but allot of people still do. In your case this needs to go to human resources/personal/management. let them know that its very distracting and ask if the cell phone policy at your work place can be revised. Like if you receive a personal call your must step out of the office or cell phone must be put on silent or vibrate. Just let them know that this behavior is number one, unprofessional, two, rude because how wants to hear how so and so's ate went last night and three, its hard to work when you have a bunch of people babbling on there cell phones. Good luck!

Answer 4

Just go to the boss and ask if there's any way he/she can tell everyone to set phones to "vibrate" and to tone down their conversations when they are on the cell.

You ever notice that most people talk MUCH louder on their cell than they do on a regular phone? Annoying, I know.

I work in a grocery store, our boss finally had to say everyone has to check their phone at customer service. They come in, leave them with us at the desk and get them back only on break, lunch, or when they go home. ALL phones are turned off, with a few exceptions, but those are department heads, managers, and customer service.

Answer 5

I don't think their are any guidelines, but it depends on the place where you are. At my working place, cell phones are not allowed, hey even at the movies they tell you that you have to turn it off or put it on vibrator.. I think there should be guidelines because when a cellphone rings it tends to distract you.

Answer 6

We were told not to use them, but it isn't a big problem in our office. Most have their ringers really low. They either speak quietly or step outside of the office. What drives me crazy is people having a loud conversation while in the grocery store, restaurant, etc.

Answer 7

We have to have them off while on duty and can only use them on our breaks. How distracting for you to work in a place like that. How does anyone work???