Smart Watch banned at your job?

[Technarchy]

They're OK in the SCIF?

In the SCIF, it was lockdown. No electronic devices period. Ultra strict.

For what I do now, the facility is secure, but not completely locked down. Though, there is no classified content around; this is not the MI.

 

[mobilehaathi]

I was just thinking of a similar example... see below.


I really do appreciate you libertarian philosophy in most situations here. I feel an exception to that is when the safety of others is imperative to the focus of the employee. For example, ~5 years ago in Boston we had an incident involving a train conductor distracted by his/her cell phone and rear-ending another train (I believe there have been others as well with buses, perhaps with other trains too). That resulted in the injury of passengers. Now, conductors (and all MBTA vehicle operators) are now banned from possessing cell phones onboard during their shifts. Without a ban on an item, such a cell phone in this case, you help eliminate the likelihood of a plausible accident. Will it prevent all such accidents? Maybe not. Will it lessen the risk? Probably, more so than the alternative.

There is the possibility a bus driver might keep their phone in their pocket and use it in a responsible fashion, such as after their shift. But I'd rather see the sacrifice of that liberty than see a bus collide with a train, killing and injuring dozens. That one time the driver decides to check his/her phone while driving could be the only time.

Yes, well, as I said, negligence is negligence. If we can decide that it would be negligent to use your device at all during the course of your work (i.e. while driving a train) then I don't see a real problem with requiring them to be left in a locker somewhere.

And to US ears, libertarian suggests insane anti-government capitalists. I'm only one of those.

 

[lowendlinux]

In the SCIF, it was lockdown. No electronic devices period. Ultra strict.

For what I do now, the facility is secure, but not completely locked down. Though, there is no classified content around; this is not the MI.

I try to spend as little time as possible them. I just wondered if the regulations had caught up

 

[rhett7660]

Are smart watches banned at your place of work?

I can see some companies seeing smart watches as a distraction like a cell phone that is why I am curious.

If so why?

Actually, in certain areas of my employment, smart watches and phones are banned. Not because of distractions, but for security along with state and federal laws prohibit them. Especially those with cameras. And yup, your bags and personal belongings are searched prior to going in.

I don't know if I would want to work for someone or a company that puts this much distrust in it's employees as to ban a piece of equipment because of distractions.

 

[Mousse]

I can see some companies seeing smart watches as a distraction like a cell phone that is why I am curious.

If the device as a distraction is the best excuse they can come up with, then it's a piss poor one. Hail, if my company didn't want our mostly male (young and overly healthy) work force distracted, we wouldn't hire female workers or force them to dress in burlap sacks. Work place distractions.