Working Remotely and Cellphones

Working from home has many advantages, starting from no boss saying, I’ll like to see you in my office.’ Another advantage is that there’s no cellphone policy.

During the early days of the internet, some workers would use company computers to look at zero clothes videos. Companies had a way of tracing culprits. That’s all water under the bridge now because videos are in the pocket, in the cellphone. Workers pretend to be going to the men’s. They scroll, smile and come back after a few minutes, innocent like spring rain.

However there are jobs where phones are forbidden for safety. Window cleaners, bus drivers, crane drivers, doctors, chefs do not take calls on the job for obvious reasons.

It will be suicide for men cleaning skyscrapers on Bay Street or Wall Street to take calls while up there. Doctors will leave sharp instruments inside our bodies if they take calls in the operation room. Sorry honey, can’t talk right now, this kidney is quite slippery.

Although most offices have a cellphone policy, it is difficult to police because of the nature of the job e.g. time difference. Workers can always claim the phone makes it easier to conduct business between Dubai and Durban because of the time difference. When one part of the world is asleep, the other one is at their desks.

Working from home frees workers from cellphone policy rules. Wait! It depends. Is it your phone or company property?

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.