The use of personal smartphones during office hours has long been a subject of debate.
Eyebrows raise over whether workers potentially perform less effectively and are more distracted in their tasks.
Though, these handheld gadgets may not be as detrimental as employers believe.
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A new study was conducted by the European branch of a global pharmaceutical company, which had previously banned the use of personal phones since the 1990s citing health and safety reasons.
The study, led by Professor Eoin Whelan, explores the implications of smartphone usage in the office setting, with some surprising findings.
Whelan revealed an interesting perspective in that the use of personal smartphones at work increases employee performance rather than hinders it.
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'Preventing phones in the workplace can increase work-life conflict, which in turn has significant implications for work performance, job satisfaction, absenteeism, turnover intentions, as well as general wellbeing,' said Whelan.
Researchers from the University of Galway and the University of Melbourne agree in that using smartphones can reduce worker stress.
The research tracked around 40 employees who took advantage of a new policy that allowed personal smartphone use during work hours.
Additionally, a similar number of employees who continued to self-impose a ban on their devices in the workplace were also observed.
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Gathering data through spoken interviews, the study found that lifting the smartphone ban didn't actually make work performance worse, much to the employers' surprise.
Those who kept using their smartphones reported a better work-life balance. Some participants mentioned they could ease the burden on their partners for certain tasks and stay connected with their families.
Being easily contactable throughout the day also meant that workers didn't feel overwhelmed to only check their phones at the end of the day.
The initial policy intended to prevent distractions, especially when working around hazardous chemicals, had led to a sense of disconnect among the employees.
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It was discovered prior to the study that senior management were the only members of staff who were permitted to use their mobile phones during work hours.
Imposing the smartphone ban led to a perception of the company being behind the times technologically.
'Rather than enforcing a ban on smartphones in the workplace, our experiences in tracking the introduction of smartphones in this company suggests a more effective strategy would be to establish an organisational climate where the company expectation for smartphone behaviours are known, for example ensuring that they are not used in meetings or in the canteen, with adherence monitored by employees themselves,' Professor Whelan said.
'Managers must realise the unintended consequences of forcing a smartphone ban.'
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Allowing people to stay connected with their personal lives behind office doors may slowly become the new norm as they can maintain contact with loved ones and avoid the anxiety of reading several missed calls at the end of the day.