Employees using chargers at work

[Baggybear]

It winds me up something rotten when my self employed staff charge their phones at work. They shouldn't be on them anyway and when they don't offer to put money towards that's just disrespectful. We are trying to run a business and to save money. Tell them to charge their things at home. No excuses!x

If you have self employed therapists, firstly they are not your STAFF, secondly it is TOTALLY acceptable for them to use their phones whenever they want because you are their landlord not their boss, they may be doing business things on the phone, you wouldn't know, & you have no right to know what they are doing on their phones.

Their electric use is a part of their rent and therefore they are totally entitled to charge their phones at work especially if they are using tham at work. I wouldn't expect them to be sat playing a game on their phone on the shop floor BUT they are their own boss and if that is what they wish to do with their time, it is their business, your getting your rent so shouldn't let it bother you what they are doing - if your on a percent split then I sugest you look to change to set rent as you obviously have issues about bills & money (not wanting them to use the electric & saying your trying to save money).

If your saying you don't think it looks professional to use their phone on the shop floor that is a different thing but again I ask is it less professional to use their phone to reply to a text/email/call from a potential client while they have no client? Or would you expect them to ignore the phone until after 'work hours' but that means they are still working because those replies are work related and ignoring clients will not help anyones business.

 

[squidgernetball]

While all the points about self employed workers using their phones are valid, as a salon owner you can have rules of the salon ie not chatting on the phone on the shop floor/restricting use to limited times due to disturbing noise etc.

Self employed are exactly that, but as a salon owner, you also have the right for your salon to be a harmonious place to work. A self employed worker may not do as they please - they can come and go as they please, they can do clients when they want and run their own accounts and so on but ultimately, if the salon owner doesn't like it, they'll just terminate their contract so it is a 2 way street x

 

[laurakate]

After a while phones struggle to hold their charge and need charging more often. If an employer thought that a few pence worth a year of her electricity mattered more than me being able to get in touch with someone on the way home (perhaps in the interest of my safety as a woman travelling home from work), I would actually be really insulted by that and looking to work for a different employer asap. Rightly or wrongly we live in an age where to be without use of our mobile phones can be anxiety provoking and unpleasant so to ask someone not to change their phone in the workplace might be a bigger ask than you're giving it credit for.

With all due respect, industry wages are not high enough for me to just grab a taxi if I couldn't get through to someone for a lift in an emergency so there's just no way I'd put up with that.

 

[Baggybear]

While all the points about self employed workers using their phones are valid, as a salon owner you can have rules of the salon ie not chatting on the phone on the shop floor/restricting use to limited times due to disturbing noise etc.

Self employed are exactly that, but as a salon owner, you also have the right for your salon to be a harmonious place to work. A self employed worker may not do as they please - they can come and go as they please, they can do clients when they want and run their own accounts and so on but ultimately, if the salon owner doesn't like it, they'll just terminate their contract so it is a 2 way street x

Yes the salon owner is entitled to ask that no personal calls/texts etc.. be made from the shop floor but if a self employed therapist is unable to take enqiuries & bookings from clients because they are expected not to take or make calls then you are asking them not to do business. You have to expect them to use the phone for business, as I said I wouldn't expect them to sit playing games but checking or updating their business facebook, checking work emails and texts and replying all has to be classed as working and would be expected of a self employed tech if they are trying to pull in more clients.

I am in no way saying they should all sit staring at their phones all day BUT they should be able to freely check business related things on their phone if they have no client. You would expect everything else to be done too - cleaning and prep for next client etc.. but the use of mobiles on the shop floor just has to be expected these if people run their business from it.

 

[vickychicky_]

I'm 22 (and my phone is usually glued to my hand) I never charge my phone at work, I use it to take pics of clients nails for the Facebook page & put it back. I'm never on it at work as I don't want to take advantage of my boss or for her to think that's all I do as she knows the younger receptionists do this & I can tell it annoys her...I don't think it's petty at all!

 

[squidgernetball]

Yes the salon owner is entitled to ask that no personal calls/texts etc.. be made from the shop floor but if a self employed therapist is unable to take enqiuries & bookings from clients because they are expected not to take or make calls then you are asking them not to do business. You have to expect them to use the phone for business, as I said I wouldn't expect them to sit playing games but checking or updating their business facebook, checking work emails and texts and replying all has to be classed as working and would be expected of a self employed tech if they are trying to pull in more clients.

I am in no way saying they should all sit staring at their phones all day BUT they should be able to freely check business related things on their phone if they have no client. You would expect everything else to be done too - cleaning and prep for next client etc.. but the use of mobiles on the shop floor just has to be expected these if people run their business from it.

Absolutely. Totally agree. But would disagree with talking loudly in the middle of the shop floor with the attitude of 'I can do what I want - I'm self employed'.

I only help and support my self employed staff to grow their business but as they're in a different part of the salon to me, half the time I have no idea what they do. As long as towels are clean and we're all respected x

 

[leemarie1982]

Most chargers are only 12w. You are lucky if it costs £7 per year to charge a phone every day. I work for an energy company so know the facts.
Don't be the bad boss, let your staff charge their phones it will cost you literally nothing over the year. X

 

[jmoseley07]

I understand everyone's comments but what I mean with mine is yes they are self employed but still work under my roof in the same room as me: They are not paying rent, they need clients to earn and I take a very small percentage to cover my stock etc. What I think takes the mic is sitting on their phones all day watching Facebook videos with their volume loud so all the clients hear and then wonder why their battery runs low so need to charge the phones. It's not about the cost, it's having respect for myself and my clients. Fair enough if you go on your phone to call clients or take pictures then your battery running low, I don't mind that.

 

[laurakate]

I think you might be happier with employed staff if you want things done in a particular way.

With self employed staff, their non client time is theirs. With employed staff you have to pay them for every hour they are there so that you have a say in what is done with every hour that is not break time.

I understand everyone's comments but what I mean with mine is yes they are self employed but still work under my roof in the same room as me: They are not paying rent, they need clients to earn and I take a very small percentage to cover my stock etc. What I think takes the mic is sitting on their phones all day watching Facebook videos with their volume loud so all the clients hear and then wonder why their battery runs low so need to charge the phones. It's not about the cost, it's having respect for myself and my clients. Fair enough if you go on your phone to call clients or take pictures then your battery running low, I don't mind that.

 

[squidgernetball]

I think you might be happier with employed staff if you want things done in a particular way.

With self employed staff, their non client time is theirs. With employed staff you have to pay them for every hour they are there so that you have a say in what is done with every hour that is not break time.

To a degree, but as I posted above, some things are unacceptable. I would not tolerate anyone watching you tube with noise distracting customers and interfering with their treatment. Self employed or not. I think if they think this is acceptable you need to look for new lessees x

 

[Makeupandbeauty]

So actually the issue is not people charging their phones at work, it is causing a disruptive atmosphere in the salon. That's a completely different topic and my answer would be completely different.

 

[blossom]

Leaving the question of whether they should be on their phones during work time entirely to one side....

I know people including some clients who laugh and say, my phones nearly out of charge but it's all right, I'll charge it at work soon hahaha. So it's definitely possible that a lot of the time, they're deliberately letting them run down. I know people who do the same at the gym, or on a train (table seats).
I'm not saying it's everybody.

For your part it does look a bit petty to grumble and you don't want to rattle people even if they are taking the pi55, it could be detrimental.

And safety is obv a major issue.

Is it possible for you to provide the PAT tested charger, just one, so just ONE gadget can be charged at a time? Which will cut down for sure. Especially if you make sure part of the day they're your iPad & iPhone that's on charge. Trying to think of a diplomatic way round this!