The first cell phone hit the market over forty years ago, and since then they have become one of the most popular electronics in the world. Of course, forty years ago the far-reaching implications of making that first call could have not been predicted, and the drag they were to create on people as a whole was unknown as well.

Cell phones were first used as tools of connection, but with the popularity of smartphones increasing, nowadays they’re mostly used for distraction from the important things. But is it possible, you ask, to lose your business over a phone?

Employees are Distracted

Even if you’ve banned Facebook and other social media outlets on work computers, how likely is it that people are away from those outlets all day when they have smartphones? They are likely on and off Twitter and texting applications throughout the day, meaning their quality and quantity of work begins to drop.

To counteract this, simply tell employees they are not to use their cell phones for any reason while they are working. Not only should they not be carried, they should be turned off unless on break or lunch. If a family member has an emergency and needs to get through to someone at your office, make sure that every individual has their own personal work phone.

Security

Cell phones are a security risk, and that’s just the truth of the matter. When employees bring their own devices to work, including laptops and smartphones, and they are allowed to be hooked into networks with private data, they suddenly become a security risk. A single lost device can completely cripple an organization when it falls into the wrong hands.

It may sound expensive, but it’s a better choice to simply buy work phones and work computers for those who need them. Don’t allow any personal devices on the network, especially if they don’t have any required protection programs that allow them to be on the network in the first place.

Cell phones may make the world go round, but they also need to be used carefully and considered a distraction as much as a tool.

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