Managing a group of people is a very challenging task, so you’ve probably put some rules in place to maintain a sense of order. Everyone isn’t going to agree with all of the policies you initiate, but if some receive much more criticism than others, you may have pushed the limits. There’s a fine line between rules that serve a purpose and those that are way too controlling.
4 Office Rules That Are Driving Your Team Crazy
If you’ve instituted any of these four rules at your company, it’s time to lighten up a bit:
No Personal Internet Use
It goes without saying that you don’t want your employees spending all day on celebrity gossip sites or shopping for a new car, but hopefully you can trust your team to be more responsible. These days, the Internet is an integral part of life, so banning your staff from accessing it in the office can actually have a negative impact on their work. Plus, studies have shown that a 10 minute Facebook break makes people happier, healthier, and more productive.
Making People Surrender Frequent Flier Miles
When employees travel for work, it’s a huge disruption to their lives. One of the perks of business trips is getting to keep the frequent flier miles they earned, so they can travel somewhere with their family or friends. Taking the miles they rightfully earned away from them is downright stingy. Expect to receive more pushback from your road warriors when you don’t afford them this benefit.
Overly Strict Attendance Policies
Your employees work hard and typically keep normal office hours, but sometimes life happens. Reprimanding a salaried employee for occasionally coming into work five minutes late or requiring them to bring a doctor’s note when they’re out sick sends the message that you don’t trust them. If the rules were put in place because of a few specific people, focus on reprimanding those individuals instead of punishing everyone else.
Prohibiting Mobile Phones
In total, 64% of American adults own smartphones, according to a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center. There’s a good chance that every one of your employees owns a cellular device, so banning them is a bit of an archaic move. People have lives personal lives and they need to be accessible to others outside the confines of your office. If you notice someone spending an excessive amount of time on their phone, take the issue up with them personally.
Partner with ECS to lighten your workload and spend more time on integral business tasks. We have more than 20 years of experience helping staffing firms. Contact us today to learn more.