HR’s newest technological tussle: Smartphone and iPads

May 31, 2011 by Tim Gould

Just when you thought you’d made the workplace safe for social media, up pops a new technological headache.

More and more people are starting to use smartphones and tablets — not just in their personal lives, but for work purposes.

That spells trouble for companies – not just in terms of work time wasted, but also in security problems and policy violations.

HR should partner with IT to create a sound smartphone and tablet use policy, and work to communicate that policy effectively to staffers.  

Three tips on how to handle smartphones and tablets in the workplace, courtesy of Philip Gordon on the Workplace Privacy Counsel blog:

• Get consent so you can access the device if necessary. Just as you may need to look at the contents of a staffer’s computer in the event of a workplace investigation, so too might you need to get info off of a staffer’s personal device.
  The problem: Unlike company-issued computers or phones, you have no right to access a worker’s personal device – even if you have a legitimate business purpose.
  There is one way around that, however. Notify employees for whom you’ve given consent to use devices at work that if they refuse to allow you to access their device, you can discipline them up to and including firing them.

• Keep employees in the know. It’s likely on HR to let employees know about policy changes, and that remains the same for access and use of personal devices like iPads or iPhones both at and for work.
  The main concern with personal devices in the workplace: Since they can be used activities like peer-to-peer file sharing, downloading games or viewing pornography that are, well, not so appropriate for work, they can infect a company’s network with viruses.
  One solution: Have staffers load an approved virus protection software onto their personal devices to protect your corporate network.
• How will you get info back from employees if they’re fired?You likely have a policy in place about how to retrieve documents and certain electronic info in the unfortunate instance an employee gets canned.
  Now you’ve got to add a new wrinkle to that policy if employees have been using their personal smartphones or tablets for work — otherwise, those staffers could walk off with your data.
  Best bet: As part of the exit interview process, add a policy about reviewing an employee device before they walk out the door.

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