President Barack Obama recently signed an executive order banning federal employees from texting while driving. The order covers both federal employees who use government-provided cars or cell phones and federal employees who use their own cell phones and cars to conduct government business. Should private employers follow suit?
While cell phones increase employee accessibility, studies consistently show that driving while texting or talking on a cell phone leads to increased accidents. To avoid potential liability to others and to protect its employees, an employer may wish to institute a cell phone policy. For example, a cell phone policy could require employees to: (1) direct all calls (including personal calls) to voicemail while driving to business engagements; (2) pull off the road to a safe location before placing or accepting a business-related call; and (3) when placing or accepting an emergency call, if possible, pull off the road to a safe location, use a hands-free device, or keep the call brief.
To speak with an employment law attorney about drafting an employment policy to address cell phone use or to speak with an employment law attorney about another employment-related matter, please contact the labor lawyers at Clouse Dunn Khoshbin LLP at CDK Lawyers.
