Most people look at their phones when they have nothing to do.

This employee has had enough of managers stopping their employees from using their phones during downtime, so he started ranting about how pointless it all is.

Read below for all the details.

Someone explain to me why, during downtime, I’m expected to stare off into space instead of my phone?

This is in every single job I’ve ever worked, be it retail, warehousing, factory work, janitorial, whatever.

The assembly line is down for maintenance? Cool, you can just stand around and wait for it to be fixed, but you can’t be on your phone while you wait, or you’ll get in trouble.

You’re not allowed to stock while they’re taking inventory? You can just stand around and wait for them to finish, but you can’t be on your phone while you wait, or you’ll get in trouble.

Someone’s using the bathroom you have to go and clean? You can just stand around and wait for them to finish, but you can’t be on your phone while you wait, or you’ll get in trouble.

This employee just doesn’t get why they do it.

Someone explain why this nonsense is a constant, regardless of what job I work? Why is the expectation that I just stand there and wait to die while we have downtime?

I get it if it’s a customer service job and there are customers, but if it’s behind closed doors in a factory and there are no corporate people around, what is the problem?

You aren’t asking me to clean, you aren’t asking me to help other divisions, you are explicitly telling me to stand around and waste my time and your money.

Your company would save money by just letting me go home if we’re going to be out of commission for an extended period of time, but we can’t do that either.

Regardless of whether it’s a 90-year-old manager who thinks that phones are the devil, or your 22-year-old team lead who thinks they rule the workplace, this mentality is everywhere, and I just hate it.

I hear you, but to be fair, phones can be addictive.

Let’s read other people’s take on this subject.

Here’s an interesting story.

This one makes a good point.

This user is chiming in.

Another one pipes up.

A concise explanation.

Don’t punish employees for having nothing to do.

If you liked that story, check out this post about an oblivious CEO who tells a web developer to “act his wage”… and it results in 30% of the workforce being laid off.