6 tips for writing a mobile phone policy for your workplace.

Have you been tasked with writing mobile device workplace policies for your organization? If so, you need to know what and what not to include to ensure the policy is not only effective but also lenient enough that your staff will want to go along with it.

Here are six useful tips for developing a cell phone policy that will improve productivity without sacrificing morale.

1. Know what you want

   Before setting pen to paper, you should determine what you want your mobile phone policy to achieve for your organization. Are safety concerns at the top of the list? Or are you more concerned with reducing distractions and improving productivity?

   If your employees operate machinery, for example, then safety should be at the top of your priority list for your policy. Knowing what you want to get out of a mobile device policy before you start will guide the entire writing process, which is a big help.

   Not only that but defining your goals early on will make it easier to explain to your staff why you're implementing the new policy in the first place. If your mobile phone policy doesn't have a clear purpose, then your employees may question why it even exists, making them more likely to ignore it.

2. Make it part of your employee handbook

   Once you've set your goals for your mobile device policy, it's time to make it official by putting it in writing. In particular, you should include it in your employee handbook and have your team sign it to acknowledge they understand the rules.

   When you start writing, include an introduction to the policy that clearly states its purpose (which should be the goals you devised in step #1).

3. Consider possible security concerns

   Do your employees have access to your company's internet connection via their work phones? If so, then you'll definitely want to prohibit personal use of company-issued devices to prevent security breaches.

   It's also a good idea to stop employees from downloading any third-party apps on company devices for the same reason, as they can potentially lead to cyberattacks and data breaches.

   Even if your team uses their personal phones, they can still cause security issues if they use your company's Wi-Fi, such as infecting the network with malware. Moreover, all their browsing history will be associated with your company, which can be problematic if an employee views inappropriate content or downloads something illegal.

   For this reason, you may want to prohibit employee access to your networks with...