Clay Putnam, CGCS said: Steven Huffstutler, CGCS said: Clay Putnam, CGCS said: It's your crew, make the policies as you see necessary. Oh, and you are not required to provide anyone with a phone.
I can't believe this is an actual problem, but if you told me that I could only have an antique phone when I was at work, I would tell you to go p155 up a rope.
Steve
You wouldn't have the opportunity to tell me to make water on a rope cause I don't have this policy. But it's his operation, it's his policy. Carry a dumb phone or don't carry a phone at all. Seems fairly simple. Don't like it? B-bye.
With labor so hard to come by for many as it is right now, you going to send them down the road just like that? If it is that much of an issue, a policy is needed, so everyone knows what the deal is.
My 2 cents, which might not even be worth that, (and considering we might need a little more info to answer the question intelligently, well for you all to answer the question intelligently),
Why the question about a simple flip phone? Is it to communicate among the crew? Is it because employees are being distracted by their smart phones?
If it is for communication only, then I can see where the course might need to supply them, which in that case would radio's be cheaper? I do know we use our phones to communicate with each other when something comes up. Luckily with data plans like they are now, we aren't creating a hardship on anyone.
Now if it is because they are spending too much time on the phone instead of working, I can see the policy, (which I remember one course, back before the smartphone days,) employees could not carry phones on the course, the phones could be kept in the car, if there was an emergency, one called the shop and someone at the shop would relay the message.
Now if one has a small crew and the shop isn't manned regularly, I could see allowing the carrying of phones, or maybe supervisors, and their phone number is the emergency contact.
If all crew members carrying their phones does help in the communication department, then it goes back to a supervision and crew trust/job completion issue.
Mel