Cell-phone driving law compliance offers challenge

Published 9:45 am Thursday, June 10, 2010

SEATTLE — As Washington state enforces its new law that makes hand-held cell phones and text messaging while driving a primary offense as of today, many businesses face their own unique set of challenges in complying with the law: how to handle employees who spend a significant part of their workday on the road.

Two Washington companies, DialPro Northwest and Personnel Management Systems, are teaming up to help businesses keep their employees safe and connected to the office with expert tips in a new guide that helps businesses navigate the unique challenges and issues many face in keeping their employees safe, productive and in compliance with the law.

“Most company HR policies are out of date and need to be updated,” said Jack Goldberg, president of Personnel Managements Systems, a leading provider of outsourced human resource management services. “We encourage businesses to review their policies in light of current employee cell phone usage and the law. Employees should minimize the amount of time they use the cell phone while driving on the job, and to always stay safe by using headsets or hands-free devices when they absolutely need to use the phone.”

“Unlike individuals, many businesses have employees who have to stay connected to the office by phone and e-mail while on the road,” said Dennis Tyler, president of DialPro Northwest, a leading provider of voice messaging and unified communications solutions. “It is not always feasible for employees to pull to the side of the road. Sometimes a quick response is required to respond to an e-mail message or make a phone call. There are a whole group of ­business-oriented speech recognition tools that keep employees both safe and connected to the office while offering full compliance with the law.”

Among the tips and advice available: