A business owner sparked debate on TikTok after saying he lets employees use their phones during work. Viewers praised his management style, while others raised concerns about safety and productivity.
@zerodollarcoaching I don’t care if my employees play on their phones at work. Half the owners watching this will think I’m an idiot. Here’s why I don’t care. #smallbusiness #leadership #management #businessowner #culture
♬ original sound - Zero Dollar Coach
The creator behind Zero Dollar Coach said he cares more about completed work than strict phone rules. He argued that employees should take short breaks without hiding their phone use.
TikTok Users Debate a No-Phone Policy
The creator said employees can make calls, text their spouses, or scroll social media briefly. He said one rule matters: employees must finish their required work each day. He argued that strict phone bans can create more problems for managers. According to him, employees will simply hide their phone use.
He compared five minutes of phone use with employees disappearing into the bathroom. He claimed workers might spend 30 minutes there instead. The creator also rejected company-wide rules based on one employee’s behavior. He said managers should address individual performance problems instead.
"If I've got one guy who's on his phone half the day, I don't have a company phone problem," he said. Instead, he said that situation creates an individual performance problem. He argued that managers should speak directly with that employee.
The creator also criticized owners who punish everyone after one worker abuses a policy. He said good employees then lose freedoms they used responsibly. He argued that removing phones would not automatically make struggling employees more productive, suggesting those workers would simply find other distractions, such as longer bathroom breaks.
Meanwhile, he said productive employees can check their phones briefly and return to work. He described allowing brief phone use as a more practical management approach than blanket bans. His comments also addressed the double standard around workplace communication.
He questioned managers who ban personal phone use during work hours but still expect employees to respond to work messages after hours. “I don’t need eight hours of everybody pretending to look busy,” he said. “I need a day’s worth of work.”
TikTok users largely focused on the trust behind his management approach.
“People don’t leave good jobs, they leave bad management,” one commenter wrote. Another commenter extended the argument to earbuds, saying music improved their mood and helped them work better. However, not everyone agreed with the creator’s approach. One commenter raised a workplace safety concern.
“Until someone is on the phone and gets injured because they were distracted,” they wrote. Another commenter simply wrote, “This needs to be sent to every HR.” One viewer admitted they watched the video while using their phone at work. “Not me currently on my phone while I’m at work watching this,” they wrote.
The Daily Dot could not independently verify the creator's employment practices or business operations. The details above reflect the account as shared on TikTok by @zerodollarcoaching.
