Elizabethtown College’s Phonathon recently implemented an office rule regulating the use of cell phones while at Phonathon. Employees must now leave their cell phones in a basket on the manager’s desk during their shift, and they are only allowed to use their cell phones outside of the office during a 15-minute break. Is this an issue?
If you’re like me and you didn’t know that Phonathon existed, it’s a division of the College’s Annual Fund, which provides scholarships and financial aid for more than 90 percent of the student body who receives financial support. Phonathon’s goal is to raise awareness and support from graduates, parents and friends of the College. The student program operates during the fall and spring semesters with phone calls typically made Monday through Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m.
Students are the lifeblood of the program, acting as Phonathon’s callers. Kaitlyn Miller, assistant director of the annual fund, likes her duty of managing Phonathon and its employees. She believes in working side-by-side with students to help them develop the skills necessary to be Phonathon callers. “These are skills that they can use now and throughout their careers,” Miller said.
Last semester, cell phones became a problem in the Phonathon office, which can’t be a surprise to anyone. With texting and all the applications you can download, it’s hard not to check your phone at least once every five minutes.
The management of Phonathon is implementing this cell phone usage rule in an effort to regain efficiency and make more calls per person per shift. “Rather than take a more aggressive approach, like releasing employees for cell phone usage during work hours, the Office of Advancement has worked with student managers to develop a way to alleviate cell phone distraction,” Miller said. “Given the unpleasant alternative, I fully support holding our employees accountable for the work for which they are being compensated.”
Each employee places his or her phone in a basket on the manager’s desk, including the managers and Miller. “Etown’s rules are like those found in most professional business environments,” Miller said. “When employees are paid by the hour, we expect a commitment to completing the work that employees are asked to do.” While I doubt most professional offices ask their employees to place their cell phones in a basket, I believe that cell phone usage in the workplace is required to be as minimal as possible.
Student caller Amanda Gruenbaum, a sophomore, understands why the rules have changed. “While we’re working, we should be focusing on what we’re doing and trying to call as many people as we can in the three hour time span we have,” she said.
Gruenbaum’s only concern with the new rule is that having everyone’s phones in the same basket could spread germs with the flu going around. If the flu and similar illnesses are of concerns to Phonathon employees, they could leave their phones in their dorm rooms, avoiding exposure to at least some germs in their daily lives.
Student caller Chelsea Destefano, a junior, said that everyone in the office respects Miller and they are all willing to follow her rules. Another student refused to talk to me out of respect for Miller and her job at Phonathon, saying that this rule is not an issue worth fighting against.
Destefano generally agrees with the new regulation. “When you’re interacting with somebody on a call, you should not be on your phone,” she said. However, she doesn’t think the rule needs to be official as long as it doesn’t interfere with calls and numbers, though clearly it has or the rules would not have changed.
“No cell phones in the workplace isn’t that weird of a concept,” student manager Elizabeth Rall said. “Besides, it’s three hours.” Rall realizes that student workers may have issues with the new rule and urges that anyone with a problem to talk to her or Miller.
“We are happy to take this more lenient approach of addressing what was becoming a problematic and regular occurrence of phone usage during work hours,” Miller said. “We are pleased with the results thus far and are equally pleased that we have not had to release any employees.”
Should student workers at Phonathon be allowed to use their cell phones during office hours? “It’s not okay to be paid to sit around and text,” Rall said. I couldn’t have said it better myself.Elizabethtown College’s Phonathon recently implemented an office rule regulating the use of cell phones while at Phonathon. Employees must now leave their cell phones in a basket on the manager’s desk during their shift, and they are only allowed to use their cell phones outside of the office during a 15-minute break. Is this an issue?
If you’re like me and you didn’t know that Phonathon existed, it’s a division of the College’s Annual Fund, which provides scholarships and financial aid for more than 90 percent of the student body who receives financial support. Phonathon’s goal is to raise awareness and support from graduates, parents and friends of the College. The student program operates during the fall and spring semesters with phone calls typically made Monday through Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m.
Students are the lifeblood of the program, acting as Phonathon’s callers. Kaitlyn Miller, assistant director of the annual fund, likes her duty of managing Phonathon and its employees. She believes in working side-by-side with students to help them develop the skills necessary to be Phonathon callers. “These are skills that they can use now and throughout their careers,” Miller said.
Last semester, cell phones became a problem in the Phonathon office, which can’t be a surprise to anyone. With texting and all the applications you can download, it’s hard not to check your phone at least once every five minutes.
The management of Phonathon is implementing this cell phone usage rule in an effort to regain efficiency and make more calls per person per shift. “Rather than take a more aggressive approach, like releasing employees for cell phone usage during work hours, the Office of Advancement has worked with student managers to develop a way to alleviate cell phone distraction,” Miller said. “Given the unpleasant alternative, I fully support holding our employees accountable for the work for which they are being compensated.”
Each employee places his or her phone in a basket on the manager’s desk, including the managers and Miller. “Etown’s rules are like those found in most professional business environments,” Miller said. “When employees are paid by the hour, we expect a commitment to completing the work that employees are asked to do.” While I doubt most professional offices ask their employees to place their cell phones in a basket, I believe that cell phone usage in the workplace is required to be as minimal as possible.
Student caller Amanda Gruenbaum, a sophomore, understands why the rules have changed. “While we’re working, we should be focusing on what we’re doing and trying to call as many people as we can in the three hour time span we have,” she said.
Gruenbaum’s only concern with the new rule is that having everyone’s phones in the same basket could spread germs with the flu going around. If the flu and similar illnesses are of concerns to Phonathon employees, they could leave their phones in their dorm rooms, avoiding exposure to at least some germs in their daily lives.
Student caller Chelsea Destefano, a junior, said that everyone in the office respects Miller and they are all willing to follow her rules. Another student refused to talk to me out of respect for Miller and her job at Phonathon, saying that this rule is not an issue worth fighting against.
Destefano generally agrees with the new regulation. “When you’re interacting with somebody on a call, you should not be on your phone,” she said. However, she doesn’t think the rule needs to be official as long as it doesn’t interfere with calls and numbers, though clearly it has or the rules would not have changed.
“No cell phones in the workplace isn’t that weird of a concept,” student manager Elizabeth Rall said. “Besides, it’s three hours.” Rall realizes that student workers may have issues with the new rule and urges that anyone with a problem to talk to her or Miller.
“We are happy to take this more lenient approach of addressing what was becoming a problematic and regular occurrence of phone usage during work hours,” Miller said. “We are pleased with the results thus far and are equally pleased that we have not had to release any employees.”
Should student workers at Phonathon be allowed to use their cell phones during office hours? “It’s not okay to be paid to sit around and text,” Rall said. I couldn’t have said it better myself.