Survey dispels myth that banning employees from using cellphones while driving hurts productivity
Some employees feel that talking on the phone while driving makes them more productive, according to a survey in British Columbia. But precisely the opposite was discovered after a one-year employee ban of the practice by AMEC, the international project management and engineering services company.
The B.C.-wide survey of 500 adults conducted by the Mustel Group on behalf of AMEC found that 46 per cent believed productivity is affected if workers are banned from using cellphones while driving. However, 90 per cent of respondents stated that talking on a cellphone impacts a person's ability to drive safely.
However, AMEC polled more than 600 employees in September — the one-year anniversary of the company's corporate policy prohibiting employees from using wireless devices while driving during work.
The survey of employees across North America found that more than 95 per cent of respondents did not experience a decrease in productivity as a result of the ban during work hours.
"We were pleasantly surprised to see that what we found was the opposite from the Mustel survey," says AMEC's Michael Jolliffe, vice president of government relations and communications. "Our employees did not feel that the cellphone ban affected their productivity."
When AMEC first told employees that they had to turn off their cellphones, pagers and PDAs before getting into their cars, they received a lot of mixed feedback. However, over the course of the year, the company found that the policy has been favourably received by employees.
Following the positive feedback and the success of the cellphone ban with its employees, AMEC is prepared to share its model with other companies.
The B.C.-wide survey of 500 adults conducted by the Mustel Group on behalf of AMEC found that 46 per cent believed productivity is affected if workers are banned from using cellphones while driving. However, 90 per cent of respondents stated that talking on a cellphone impacts a person's ability to drive safely.
However, AMEC polled more than 600 employees in September — the one-year anniversary of the company's corporate policy prohibiting employees from using wireless devices while driving during work.
The survey of employees across North America found that more than 95 per cent of respondents did not experience a decrease in productivity as a result of the ban during work hours.
"We were pleasantly surprised to see that what we found was the opposite from the Mustel survey," says AMEC's Michael Jolliffe, vice president of government relations and communications. "Our employees did not feel that the cellphone ban affected their productivity."
When AMEC first told employees that they had to turn off their cellphones, pagers and PDAs before getting into their cars, they received a lot of mixed feedback. However, over the course of the year, the company found that the policy has been favourably received by employees.
Following the positive feedback and the success of the cellphone ban with its employees, AMEC is prepared to share its model with other companies.
