CELLULAR TELEPHONE POLICY
PURPOSE:
This policy applies to County employees that are required by his/her position to be available by cell phone. Department heads with the approval of the County Manager or Assistant County Manager will determine which positions within their departments are required to carry cell phones to provide effective and efficient service in the line of their official duties. The expectation for designated employees is that they will carry the cell phones with them for official communication purposes.
- Employee Responsibilities with a Stipend:
The County requires the employee to obtain the cellular phone, accessories and service in his/her name and take financial responsibility for the billing. One time, the County will reimburse the employee for one half (1/2) the purchase cost of the cell phone, up to $75. The County will reimburse the employee through his/her regular payroll as a stipend. This stipend does not increase the employee’s base salary. This stipend is subject to all applicable taxes. The amount of the stipend may vary depending on the number of cellular minutes required to perform his/her job duties. The phone service is the responsibility of the employee and all contract conditions and stipulations are the responsibility of the employee.
The County policy establishes that:
(A) Individuals will contract with the cellular provider of their choice individually unless specific job duties require common providers for special or unique needs.
(B) Employees will be solely responsible for obtaining local cell phone service and renewing his/her contract at expiration.
(C) The County will pay the employee a stipend amount for cellular phone use and the employee will be responsible for maintaining their service.
(D) Individuals are responsible to contact wireless providers to clarify or correct any billing issues.
(E) The employee is responsible to keep his/her phone in good working condition.
(F) Lost, damaged or stolen phones are the responsibility of the employee. ______County encourages the employee to consider phone insurance if the loss, damage or theft of the phone will be a hardship for the employee.
(G) If the employee is no longer employed with ______County or no longer holds the elected office, the former employee will continue to be responsible for the remainder of their cell phone contract and the financial responsibility of that contract. The last month of stipend from the County will be during the month of the employee’s final day of employment.
- Stipend Amounts:
(A) Employees approved for a cell phone stipend shall receive the monthly stipend through payroll to be applied to the employee’s cellular telephone service. The intent of the stipend program is not to pay for the entire employee phone plan, but to offset the extra expense of any County business communicated on the employee’s personal cell phone. The department head determines which of the following categories each employee fits into.
Less than 100 minutes - $20.00, increased to $27.50 to cover taxes
100 to 450 minutes - $40.00, increased to $55.01 to cover taxes
450 to 900 minutes - $60.00, increased to $82.51 to cover taxes
(B) Employees requesting plans less than 100 minutes or greater than 900 minutes should discuss other options for work-related communications with their department head and approval must be received from the County Manager.
(C) In rare situations, in the event that the employee would use their cell phone an excessive amount of time, the Elected Official/Department Manager may consider a one-time increased stipend. Phone records will need to be provided by the employee to justify this increase. This decision will be handled on a case-by-case basis.
- Conditions Of Use For All Cell Phone Use:
(A) Employees are urged to use the most economic communication means available in their daily activities and to use cell phones only when other communication vehicles are not practical such as:
1. Standard phone when available.
2. E-mail when available.
3. County radio system when available and appropriate.
(B) Pagers or ongoing radio communication may not be required if the employee has a cell phone. The opposite also applies, cell phones may not be required if the employee has a County pager assigned or has access during working hours to a County radio. Each individual requirement should be assessed in collaboration with each individual department head.
(C) Even though employees may provide his/her own individual service, outgoing and incoming personal calls and text messages are discouraged during work hours as with any other personal business.
(D) The County reserves the rights to request proof of cell phone service for any employee receiving the cell phone stipend.
(E) ______County encourages safe driving. We encourage you to not drive with using your cell phone. If you do drive, a hands free devise is required while driving and using your cell phone. Under no circumstance should employees be accessing the internet, sending or reading text messages while driving.
- County-Owned Equipment & Cell Service:
The finance department shall process cell phone service and equipment bills according to applicable County procedures for County-owned phones and service ONLY.
(A) One cell phone shared by a group of individuals or other uniquely assigned phones may be considered for County billing and payment.
(B) County owned cell phones are intended for business purposes. Incidental personal use is acceptable of a County cell phone, but regular use of a county cell phone is not acceptable. The County reserves the right to bill the employee due to regular personal use of a County cell phone.
..\Personnel--Computer, Technology and IT Policies/Cellular Telephone Policy - Sample No. 2.doc/11/12/13