The Workplace Advisors specializes in providing HR assistance to associations such as PPAI and their member companies. 

Each month, the consultancy answers anonymous questions from companies about a myriad of topics. Below is advice on how to address employees being on their phones too much and decorating their workspaces.

Question: My employees seem to always be on their phones. I think it’s a bad look for our customers and diminishes productivity. Is this the norm? What can I do about it? 

Answer: Every employer can expect their employees to do their jobs during paid work time – that’s what you pay the employee to do. However, not every employee or workplace is the same, so you need to evaluate how critical it is to enforce a no-phones policy, as well as the possible repercussions.

In general, employees who work low-skilled jobs, are paid the minimum wage, don’t receive benefits and work long hours are less likely to have a job that’s truly impacted by some phone time, unless it’s keeping them from helping customers or performing other time-sensitive duties. But these employees are also more likely to be able to leave with no notice and get a similar job somewhere else, leaving you shorthanded.

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Alternatively, some workplaces are such that just having a phone in an area, let alone one in use, could create serious safety concerns, so that prohibition should be strictly enforced.

  • Consider offering rest and meal breaks so employees can use their phones safely and responsibly.


In other situations, some employees may have a legitimate business reason to use their phone, such as talking or texting with a client, watching a how-to video or researching an answer to a question. If you don’t want them to use their phones, offer them alternative ways to complete their tasks.

Overall, evaluate your workplace, the tasks being performed and the actual impact of phone usage during work hours as well as the potential impact of your strict restrictions. Find ways to balance employees’ desire to use their phones with the productivity or image you want and need them to uphold.

Question: We understand employees spend a lot of time at work, so we allow them to decorate their workspaces with personal touches. We expect employees to have a couple of pictures in their areas. However, we have two employees that go overboard in our opinion. Along with several pictures, they have wreaths, ribbons, figurines and plaques with cutesy sayings all over their area and, when it’s a holiday, they hang even more things!

They have so much they have little space to actually work and it creates a huge distraction for everyone else. How do we allow some self-expression while fairly controlling the excess?

Answer: Allowing employees to make their workspaces more personal does create a more welcoming atmosphere. It also gives coworkers a chance to get to know more about each other on a personal level, helping to deepen their cohesiveness. However, some employees may continue to add to their collection instead of switching things out, leaving their workspace barely functional.

Consider setting some rules and limitations.

  • For example, allow only professional or job-related credentials or diplomas.
  • Set a number of personal items and/or define what is acceptable (for example, allow pictures but prohibit plaques and crafts). If they want to bring in a new picture, an old one will need to be removed.


When it comes to holidays, if decorating is permitted, realize that you will need to allow employees to decorate for holidays they may recognize. For example, if you allow one employee to put up a small Christmas tree in December, you will also need to allow another to put up a menorah or a kinara (with artificial candles, of course). While this may seem a lot to manage, it could also demonstrate and celebrate the diversity in your workplace.

Strictly prohibit anything that is or could be perceived as harassing, sexually harassing, discriminatory or otherwise offensive or inflammatory. Make this a zero-tolerance standard to stop hostile work environment claims before they begin.

Whatever you decide, communicate a message balancing productivity and safety while allowing personal expression – be consistent in enforcing it to maintain a fair workplace.