Can my boss lock up my phone?
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Can my boss lock up my phone?
I am a seasonal employee at a YMCA outdoor summer camp. I get paid a salary, not by the hour. Recently, my boss ordered 40 lock boxes for all of the counselors to put our phones in. If we get caught having our phones, they threaten to fire us. The only time we are allowed to have our phones is when the kids are asleep but we have to walk to the front of the camp to the camp office to use them and they cannot leave the office. Recently, there was an event where a large tree branch fell on a camper and it took over 7 minutes to call 911 with a possible spinal injury. Not only does this phone policy seem intrusive to our lives but it also poses a safety concern regarding immediate
emergency actions.
Asked on June 19, 2018 under Employment Labor Law, Florida
Answers:
M.D., Member, California and New York Bar / FreeAdvice Contributing Attorney
Answered 5 years ago | Contributor
The fact is that absent an employment contract or union agreement to the contrary, a worker has no legal right to have access to their personal cell phone at work. In an "at will" work relationship, a business can set the conditions of the workplace much as it sees fit (absent some form of legally actionable discrimination). If this policy is not acceptable to you, you can complain but risk termination or quit. Those are your choices.
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