Practice tip of the week: Six tips for your employee cell phone policy

With all the useful information available on Physicians Practice, it is easy to become overwhelmed.

With this in mind, the tip of the week is a chance to reflect on some of the wisdom found all across the site. In a November 2021 article on six tips for your employee cell phone policy, Paul Edwards writes the following:

“Do you tend to keep your cell phone in your pocket (when it’s not in your hand) throughout the workday? Do your employees do the same? And how often do you see them texting or tapping away when they’re supposed to be working? A smartphone can be a distraction to staff members and a potential HIPAA violation waiting to happen. Here are some points to consider when rethinking your employee cell phone policy

1. Don’t overregulate cellphone use during breaks - You may attract unwanted attention from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) if your policies impede employees’ protected rights to organize or better their working conditions through their own or the company’s communication resources. Some states also limit what you can require of (or forbid) your employees during breaks.
2. Know your HIPAA responsibilities - Is every employee’s HIPAA training up to date, so that they fully understand their responsibility NOT to share patient information or photos (even cute or funny ones!) via cell phones, on social media, and/or online? All employees should be re-trained yearly!"

Click here to read the rest of the article and be sure to check back next week for another Tip of the Week!