Free restaurant template · Policy
Restaurant employee cell phone policy template
Free to use and edit. These are starting drafts, not legal advice: have an employment attorney review any policy before you rely on it.
The template
[Restaurant name]
Employee Cell Phone Policy
Why we have this policy
Guests notice when staff are on their phones, and in the kitchen a phone is a food safety and injury risk. This policy applies to everyone, managers included.
During your shift
- Personal phones are kept [in your locker / in the staff area / on silent in your pocket and out of sight].
- Phones are not used on the floor, behind the bar, on the line or in the dish area.
- Earbuds and headphones are not worn during service or prep.
- If you handle a phone in a food area, wash your hands before returning to work.
On your breaks
You are free to use your phone during your meal break and before or after your shift, in the staff area or outside the building.
Emergencies
If you are expecting an urgent call, tell the manager on duty at the start of your shift. Family can reach you through the restaurant at [phone number].
Photos, video and social media
- Do not photograph or record guests.
- Do not post guest names, payment details or reservation information.
- This policy does not limit your right to talk with coworkers or others about your pay, hours or working conditions.
Phones used for work
[Managers / named roles] may use a phone for scheduling, ordering and guest contact. If we ask you to use your own phone for work, speak to a manager about how that is handled.
If the policy is not followed
A manager will remind you once. Repeated use during service is handled through our usual steps: a documented verbal warning, then written warnings.
I have read this policy and had the chance to ask questions about it.
Employee:Date:
Manager:Date:
Starting draft from Back of House Ops (backhousehr.com). Edit it to fit your restaurant. It is not legal advice.
Massachusetts rules
The rules that apply to this document
Do restaurant workers get a meal break in Massachusetts?
Yes. Anyone working more than six hours in a calendar day gets at least a 30-minute meal break. It can be unpaid only if the worker is free of all duties and free to leave; if you ask them to keep working or stay on site, the break is paid.
Full answer and official sourceCan I deduct breakage, register shortages or a walkout from an employee's pay?
Generally no. The Supreme Judicial Court held in Camara v. Attorney General (2011) that an employer may not deduct from earned wages unless the law allows it or there is a "clear and established debt", and an employer's own finding that an employee was at fault does not qualify, even if the employee agreed.
Full answer and official sourceCan a current or former employee see their personnel file?
Yes. Within five business days of a written request, the employer must let the employee review their personnel record, and provide a copy on request, up to twice a year. You must also tell an employee within 10 days when you add negative information, such as a write-up, to their file.
Full answer and official source
Rules checked against official sources on . General information, not legal or tax advice.
Where restaurants go wrong
- Fining staff or docking pay for phone use. Discipline is a write-up, not a deduction.
- Banning phones on an unpaid meal break while also keeping staff on call. If they are not free of duties, the break is paid.
- Enforcing it on the floor but not for managers, which is the fastest way to lose the rule.
Your restaurant remains the employer of record and approves payroll and employment decisions. BOHO is not a PEO, a staffing agency, or legal counsel. This template is a starting draft for you to edit. It does not decide how the rules apply to your restaurant, so have counsel review any policy or separation before you rely on it.
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Your restaurant remains the employer of record and approves payroll and employment decisions. BOHO is not a PEO, a staffing agency, or legal counsel.