Cell phones in the work place.

[Johns]

I'm glad to know your office is busy enough to warrant that. That's how I was when I first took over these two stores but really there's only so much cleaning a 20'x30' office needs. The rest of the time I spend studying or doing employee training or reviews. Honestly though I won't berate someone checking their phone when its a half hour to closing and we haven't had a patient in the last hour.

I agree, but at that point, I'd send them home, rather than pay them to be on their phone.

[optilady1]

When my husband is deployed, I have my phone with me all day long. I'm not gonna miss a chance to talk to him from where ever his sub pops up from at some crazy weird time. When he's home then I'll follow what ever the rules are for where ever I work. But if I'm gonna put my cell phone away, my co-workers better put their books, bills, checkbooks, nail files, and magazines away too.

[Jubilee]

I keep my phone with me for the most part. Sometimes I will leave it in my office or in the breakroom.. but usually I keep it with me.

Having parents that aren't in the greatest of health, and another family member in hospice.. its important I can keep abreast of what is going on. Usually its easier for my sister in law (my parents live with my brother) to send a text. No matter how much I beg or plead.. I still get texts or fb messages. "You're mom is complaining of chest pain and her right arm is numb. Should I take her to the ER or can this wait til we finish grocery shopping and I can drop off the kids at the house?" "Your dad fell and hit his head on the dresser. He doesn't want to go to the ER, but has a knot.. what do you want us to do?"

I only answered my phone in front of a patient once. That was when my dad was in the ICU and the call was coming from the same area code they live in.

The times I keep it locked away are the times the doctor will ask me "did you get my messages about X,y,z? I sent them to your cell..."

[Happylady]

We keep out phones in the back but if I need to look something up on the internet for a patient I bring it out to use since most sites are blocked on my computer. Once in a while I use my phone to take pictures of people in frames but most people have their own smart phones now. I recently got hearing aids and the controls for it are on my phone so I told I could keep my phone at my desk but I just go to the back if I need to adjust them.

[ThatOneGuy]

I have five kids and managed a second location while primary optician at another location. I used to get complaints from coworkers about texting, but it was only in a kid emergency, or when the other office needed me. Now that I am only at one location, I am off my phone unless turning on music while tending to paper work or if there is a kid emergency (doesn't usually happen). I don't like cell phones in the work place when they are abused (social media, personal conversations,etc), but people pay a lot of money to have that level of accessibility, so I think it just comes with the era. If job performance can't justify the cell use, then speak openly with the employee about it. Give them a chance to learn and grow, then move on if there is still a problem.