Mumbai: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has banned employees across all its group companies from using mobile phones in the office. On April 2015, ZEEL implemented this rule at the offices of Zee Entertainment. A mail detailing the policy that was widely circulated on social media states: “You will need to surrender the mobile to the security on entering the premises. The mobile needs to be either switched off or in silent mode… A token number will be shared with you to reclaim your phone whenever you walk out of the office.”
On July 16, 2015, it was extended to offices of all group companies, including Mumbai-based newspaper DNA. The thinking behind the move, according to an editorial employee at the company, is that “people tend to misuse social networking sites inside office”.

Tools such as WhatsApp, while used for official purposes, can be distracting as it’s also used to chat with friends. “So, the management is trying to curb the unwanted usage of these platforms during work hours,” the employee explained.

But such a policy will not increase productivity. “What might happen is journalists will find ways to stay away from reporting to office and work from outside,” the employee said. However rumors are, that faced with concerted opposition from within, the policy may soon be dumped. The Zee spokesperson as well as Group CEO Bhaskar Das has declined to provide any comment.