Alison Green, author of the popular blog Ask a Manager, often fields questions from managers and employees frustrated by inconsiderate phone use in the workplace. Green offers a sample script that employees can use to tactfully broach the subject when a supervisor is the offender.

“You could say something like: ‘When you’re on your phone for so much of our meeting time, it makes it tough to tell if you’re hearing what we’re saying,” Green says. “’I know that obviously emergencies will come up that you have to deal with, but it seems like it’s more than the norm than not for you to be on the phone for most of our meetings. Is there a different time we could schedule these for where you’d be less likely to be interrupted?’”

The office isn’t the last setting that David and Roberts want to explore in their research. They are interested in looking at how phone use affects the relationship between parents and children, and changes the experience of church (ministers who ask congregations to consult Bible apps during their sermons have found that it’s difficult to get their attention back from the phone).

As for the workplace, researchers suggest adopting a no-phone policy for in-person meetings so that all are fully present. And in situations where an urgent call or text is expected, preserve the trust in your work relationship by being transparent and respectful. Explain in advance to the person you are meeting that you are anticipating an urgent message, excuse yourself when the call comes in and be brief.

“Communicate with your employees how it makes you feel when they use their devices around you and what you expect them to do (and what you are going to do) with devices in order to show that people and relationships are the priority, instead of the device,” McDaniel says.