November 2006 ISSUE
Drivers on Phones Are Not More Productive
AMEC Eliminates the Dilemma of Choosing Between Safety and Productivity
Employees have always thought that talking on the phone while driving makes them more productive. But APEGGA permit holder AMEC has busted that myth, thanks to a survey of employees of the international project management and engineering services company.
Before AMEC’s survey, Mustel Group found that 46 per cent of respondents in a B.C. telephone survey believed that productivity is affected if workers are banned from using cell phone while driving. However, 90 per cent of the respondents stated that talking on a cell phone does detract from a person’s ability to drive safely.
“The findings of the survey demonstrate the conflict that people face in trying to ensure they are meeting all the demands placed on their harried and busy lives,” said Evi Mustel, president of the Mustel Group. “They know that safety is paramount but they’d like to meet the demands placed on them at work.”
The findings of the Mustel survey are in sharp contrast to what AMEC found when it polled its own employees this September. What made the results of AMEC’s employee survey so significant? They came on the first anniversary of an internal AMEC corporate policy prohibiting employees from using wireless devices while driving during work.
AMEC’s survey of employees across North America found that more than 95 per cent of respondents did not experience a decrease in productivity as a result of the ban.
“When we polled our employees, we thought we might see the same results as we did from the Mustel survey,” said AMEC’s Ken Kozakewich, P.Eng., vice-president, Alberta and Northwest Territories. “However, we discovered the opposite — virtually all of our employees state that the cell phone ban has no effect on their productivity.”
When AMEC first told employees that they had to turn off their cell phones, pagers and PDAs before getting into their cars, they received a lot of mixed feedback. However, over the course of the year, the company found that the policy has been favourably received.
“When I was first told about the cell phone ban, I was skeptical,” said AMEC’s Terry Knysh, P.Eng., general manager in Stony Plain. “Once I consciously stopped using the cell phone while driving during work hours, I became more aware of the hazards and started seeing a correlation between poor driving habits and cell phone usage.
“Now, I rarely use my cell phone while driving — at anytime.”
Following the positive feedback and the success of the ban, AMEC is prepared to share its model with other companies.
“This is all about safety and the research shows that in practice, AMEC’s cell phone ban could be a model for other companies across North America,” says AMEC’s Randy Plener, vice-president, safety, health and environment. “This policy reinforces our commitment to ensuring we create the safest possible work environment for our most valuable asset — AMEC employees.”
The AMEC employee survey also reported that more than 97 per cent of respondents agreed that talking on a cell phone impacts a person’s ability to drive safely. As well, 96 per cent felt that responsible companies should discourage employee use of wireless communications devices while driving. And 83 per cent of respondents said that they have reduced or quit using wireless communications devices while driving outside of work hours.
The Mustel Group survey was conducted between Sept. 5-12 in 500 telephone interviews with B.C. adults aged 18 years and over. The AMEC employee survey was conducted during Sept. 7-28 in 669 anonymous online surveys.
AMEC is an international project management and services company that designs, delivers and supports client assets for customers across the public and private sectors. AMEC has approximately 1,800 engineers and scientists in Alberta which are part of a global network of 20,000 people in 40 countries.
AMEC recently received the number 1 ranking on the Dow Jones World Sustainability Index in its sector for the third consecutive year. Engineering News-Record Magazine has ranked AMEC as the top international design firm in Canada.