Gaby
A new study suggests banning personal phones at work can backfire. Personal mobile use didn’t reduce productivity — and it helped employees manage stress.
In recent years, many managers have banned personal phone use in the office. Now employees can point to this research when arguing for the right to private conversations.
What Researchers Discovered
Researchers at the National University of Galway (Ireland) and the University of Melbourne (Australia) found that personal phones help workers reduce stress.
They found that banning phones can worsen conflicts between work and personal life, which can hurt productivity, job satisfaction, turnover, and overall staff well-being, says Professor Eoin Whelan, who led the study.
The research was conducted at the European branch of a global pharmaceutical company; the researchers did not disclose the company’s name.
That branch had banned personal mobile use since the 1990s, a policy management defended on health-and-safety grounds, saying phones could distract workers handling hazardous chemicals.
Employees repeatedly complained that the ban left them feeling cut off.
Even upper management disapproved of the branch managers’ decision, saying the ban made the branch look technophobic and could hurt its competitiveness, according to the Daily Mail.
Over a year, researchers observed about four dozen employees at the branch who were allowed to use personal smartphones as part of the study, and they also followed employees who chose to comply with the ban and leave their phones outside the workplace.
What Scientists Learned
They drew conclusions about the ban after conducting detailed interviews with staff.
Despite management’s concerns that personal smartphones would interfere with work, productivity did not decline after the ban was lifted.
Employees with phone access reported significantly less work–life conflict than those without.
Employees with phones said they could deal with family matters during the day, which improved relationships with loved ones. Having that personal line of communication meant they were less stressed during work hours.
The research team says the findings could help organizations strike a better balance between technology, work, and personal life and that they’ll offer practical suggestions to create healthier workplaces.
Professor Whelan suggests that instead of an outright ban, organizations should change workplace culture. For example, they could prohibit personal phone conversations in the cafeteria or during meetings and rely on employees to self-regulate.
Ultimately, the study leader warns that managers should be mindful of the unintended consequences of banning personal smartphones.
