Basically what the title says. I work at a chain gas station (rhymes with Schmoliday and Smirkle K) and the corporate policy on cell phones is a simple ‘you’re not allowed to use it on company time when clocked in, if you are caught using it any time other than breaks you will be written up and terminated after 3 write ups’. Easily understandable and followed, no issue there. They want us to work while being paid, not play on our phones, I get that, especially since there are some people here who have it in front of their face the whole shift.
Our boss has taken this a step further telling us that we need to put it in a drawer that everyone has access to behind the main counter of the store which is situated literally in the middle of the store. If we don’t put in the drawer and she catches us with it on our person (sees a pocket outline, sees it sticking out from a pocket, sees a lanyard attached to it sticking out of a pocket) she will write us up and terminate us after 3.
I understand at will states be employed at will, but can she seriously fire us for not allowing our personal property to be accessible by literally anyone who comes into our store? Employees, employees families/kids, vendors, etc all come behind the counter and can access this drawer. I don’t have like the newest most valuable phone, but I still don’t want to risk it being stolen by someone. We do have cameras and I’m assuming they cover that spot but I have no idea. Also it’s just a safety thing in my mind since we don’t have alert/alarm buttons everywhere in the store if we were to be robbed (not likely since it’s a tiny town, it was last robbed like 2 years ago), or if something bad happened and we weren’t right next to the landline phone. I’m not gonna risk my safety for someone’s ego.
There is no papers anywhere from corporate stating her version of the policy, but there are also no visible papers/sheets anywhere with information on getting a hold of HR either. I found some people who might be our regions HR on the WorkDay app she had us all download but I don’t want to try emailing them getting them involved if this is actually something she can do.. I also don’t want her to fire me in retaliation if she finds out it was me, which she would since the workday app has all of our names, which branch and regions were in and who our management is.