Does your company need a smartphone policy?

Are your employees twittering during meetings? Texting during conference calls? Checking Facebook on their iPhones during training?

As more employees carry and use iPhones and BlackBerrys, some employers are fretting about an increase in impolite smartphone usage. A few days ago, The New York Times had a fine article by Alex Williams called "Mind Your BlackBerry or Mind Your Manners." In it, Alex cites questionable smartphone behavior in different workplace settings. Some companies have taken to policies banning BlackBerrys during work meetings. But more companies are facing up to the reality of the omnipresent smartphone: "Despite resistance, the etiquette debate seems to be tilting in the favor of smartphone use, many executives said."

What do you think? In this space, we've usually advocated a policy-lite approach that involves treating employees as grown-ups who have judgment. See, for example:

• “A two-word corporate blogging policy”
• “The world’s shortest employee handbook,” and
• "A twitterable Twitter policy."

Is it time for an iPhone policy? (At my firm, the only BlackBerry policy is "No BlackBerrys." It's very similar to our Windows policy.)

I want to hear from you, managers, HR pros, in-house lawyers: Does your company need a smartphone policy? Leave your thoughts in the comments, or send me an @message or direct message on Twitter: @jayshep.

And while you're at it, take this quick, single-question poll.

Comments

[Andrea Cannavina]

Two observations:

* Etiquette never goes out of style; and

* Polite people are polite people no matter which phone is in their pocket!

[kim tairi]

The top exec in my area leads by example. He uses his smartphone in meetings and we follow! Others bring laptops... it comes down to the same principles you have mentioned before respect and good manners.

[Natasha Kurtz]

I completely agree with Andrea; however, much of courtesy is dictated by the culture. People generally are followers, and if someone else is "getting away with it" without reprimand, then most others will follow suit.

I think a policy of "use your best judgment" is most appropriate, because sometimes people are really doing work or may need to be reachable by clients, colleagues or direct reports. However, the policy should also state that employees are responsible for the material discussed in the meetings they are required to attend, particularly trainings and HR-related functions.

[Francis / 2Time blog]

I agree with all that's said here, but I think that this is much more than an issue of respect and manners, and instead it's a matter of productivity, which can easily be monetized.

To illustrate, companies know how to discipline an employee who is five minutes late each day, but have no idea what to do with an executive who spends the entire board meeting texting someone outside the room.

Guess which one is more costly?

This is one reason I recently launched a smartphone survey - http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/smartphone-survey2 that's open thru July 28th. After then, I'll publish the results.