Work Cell Phone Question

[gotomu212]

Most at my company opt to have a separate work cell. Although this might not apply to a lot of places my company is subject to frequent litigation. Communication stored on phones can be included in those cases which means we have to turn over our phones and legal teams get to comb through everything including personal communication and texts. Even if it’s all pretty tame, it’s still a little creepy to have private texts reviewed by your company to see if they pertain to official work.

The other down side is not quite knowing if calls coming in are professional or personal and having to always be completely professional when answering and then getting dragged into work stuff. It depends what your company’s position is on unknown calls that come in after hours.

 

[Kathryn Merteuil]

When I worked for the state, we were issued a cellphone. We were advised to leave it at work and not be anywhere around it when you were not "on the clock". People have no sense of boundaries and would call you whenever. It was a pain keeping up with 2 phones, but at least you had the option of not having the stupid thing near you when you were not working, that way you couldn't check it, or be aware of anything going on with it. The biggest advantage is being able to hold them up and sing "I got 2 phones..." in front of people.

That last was a joke. Seriously, I think it is best to not have the two worlds collide. If you are going to be using a cellphone for work, let it be an entirely different phone that you can make unavailable to yourself.

 

[ronandannette]

As my cousins in Canada say, "we have to find some way to pay for our free healthcare"

What a bizarre thing to say. You’re trying to make a joke, right? Hopefully your cousins are not so completely confused and uninformed as to believe that the retail cost of goods and services provided by private companies contribute to the health care budgets of our provincial governments?

 

[soccerdad72]

I get reimbursement for my personal cell. Works for me.

 

[Klayfish]

I have two cell phones as well, one is work and one is personal. I could get away with just one if I really wanted, as I'm not much of a phone person at all. However, I just very much want to keep the two separate. My company pays me monthly for a phone, so I get reimbursed. I'm with Cricket Wireless and have one of those 5 lines for $125/month deals, which includes unlimited data...not that I ever need it. Works great for me.

 

[tvguy]

What a bizarre thing to say. You’re trying to make a joke, right? Hopefully your cousins are not so completely confused and uninformed as to believe that the retail cost of goods and services provided by private interests contribute to the health care budgets of our provincial governments?

I am not joking. That is exactly what they say. I don't know the Canadian tax code but I suspect EVERY private for profit interest contributes through their taxes.

 

[sam_gordon]

I have two cell phones as well, one is work and one is personal. I could get away with just one if I really wanted, as I'm not much of a phone person at all. However, I just very much want to keep the two separate. My company pays me monthly for a phone, so I get reimbursed. I'm with Cricket Wireless and have one of those 5 lines for $125/month deals, which includes unlimited data...not that I ever need it. Works great for me.

I'm confused. Do you pay for your work phone? Why wouldn't the company just pay for the phone and hand it to you?

 

[ronandannette]

I am not joking. That is exactly what they say. I don't know the Canadian tax code but I suspect EVERY private for profit interest contributes through their taxes.

Sure, but having our cell phone providers charge exponentially higher rates for service in an unregulated market is hardly a scheme intended to allow them to pay more taxes.

 

[Klayfish]

I'm confused. Do you pay for your work phone? Why wouldn't the company just pay for the phone and hand it to you?

Sorry, I was typing in haste. My company doesn't want to get involved in the administration of obtaining cell phones and managing them, so they just offer reimbursement to employees who are supposed to have them. It's my responsibility to have a phone that I can use for work, however I want to do it is my choice. Many people use their personal phone, I chose not to. I have 5 lines with Cricket...3 are for my kids, one is my personal phone, one I use strictly for work.

 

[OhDannyBoy]

My job used to require me to be on 24/7 call and the company provided me with a cell phone which I used as a personal phone as well.

When I changed positions I was no longer required to be on call but had to option of keeping the company phone. But after about the 7th time of being woken up with either wrong numbers or customers looking for service at 2 AM, I gave the phone back and got my own.

 

[tvguy]

Sorry, I was typing in haste. My company doesn't want to get involved in the administration of obtaining cell phones and managing them, so they just offer reimbursement to employees who are supposed to have them. It's my responsibility to have a phone that I can use for work, however I want to do it is my choice. Many people use their personal phone, I chose not to. I have 5 lines with Cricket...3 are for my kids, one is my personal phone, one I use strictly for work.

There is something up.....I suspect with the lawyers involved.....regarding personal cell phones at my work. Not sure if it is a corporate issue or because we are in California, but we can't call an employees personal cell phone number without manager approval. If they have a company phone, that restriction does not apply to the company cell phone number.

 

[_19disnA]

It depends on your company and the type of job you do. If your job does NOT require you to be available 24/7, then it makes more sense to have your own personal phone separate from work, since you just don't answer that phone when not on the job (or just turn it off). Our company provides salary employes with a company paid cell phone (we can also use it for personal calls.) I find it annoying to have 2 cell phones, so just rather have the one from the office.

At one time, we used to have to reimburse the company for long distance personal calls, but the newer plans have unlimited calling, so that is no longer an issue. No one tries to micro-manage if you use the phone for work vs personal calls. Even when at work, you might have to make a doctor's appointment or schedule a repairman.

 

[tvguy]

Sure, but having our cell phone providers charge exponentially higher rates for service in an unregulated market is hardly a scheme intended to allow them to pay more taxes.

I don't think any of my family thinks it is a scheme. It's like snow, comes with living in Canada.

 

[sam_gordon]

There is something up.....I suspect with the lawyers involved.....regarding personal cell phones at my work. Not sure if it is a corporate issue or because we are in California, but we can't call an employees personal cell phone number without manager approval. If they have a company phone, that restriction does not apply to the company cell phone number.

I'll take a guess... I think LEGALLY if you do any work for the company, you need to be paid for that work. By the strictest interpretation, that would include answering a question over the phone. I'm guessing it's a company edict so as not to have to pay people to answer the phone.

 

[tvguy]

I'll take a guess... I think LEGALLY if you do any work for the company, you need to be paid for that work. By the strictest interpretation, that would include answering a question over the phone. I'm guessing it's a company edict so as not to have to pay people to answer the phone.

That very well could be.
When we had furloughs in 2009, if you were on furlough, you had to turn in your company phone for the day, your e-mail access was shutoff, and you could not be contacted for any reason that day.

 

[nkereina]

We just have the option of having a company issued phone and carrying two phones (one for work, and our personal) OR using our own personal phone for work, but there was no reimbursement. The benefit of that for the people who chose it was that you don't have to carry two phones, and work email is accessible to them 24/7. I personally didn't want that, and opted for two phones. No biggie for me to throw them in my purse, but I can see where its a hassle for men.

Another thing I'll mention, which you may want to confirm, is that those who opt to use their own personal cell phone had to agree to sign over their personal number to our employer. In other words, if they ever left the company, they would have to change their phone number. So even though its a personal phone, if they opt to use it for work, the company now owns the phone number. I think this is discouraging sales people from taking clients elsewhere, but another reason I opted to have a separate phone. I've had my personal number forever!

 

[RUDisney]

We just have the option of having a company issued phone and carrying two phones (one for work, and our personal) OR using our own personal phone for work, but there was no reimbursement. The benefit of that for the people who chose it was that you don't have to carry two phones, and work email is accessible to them 24/7. I personally didn't want that, and opted for two phones. No biggie for me to throw them in my purse, but I can see where its a hassle for men.

Another thing I'll mention, which you may want to confirm, is that those who opt to use their own personal cell phone had to agree to sign over their personal number to our employer. In other words, if they ever left the company, they would have to change their phone number. So even though its a personal phone, if they opt to use it for work, the company now owns the phone number. I think this is discouraging sales people from taking clients elsewhere, but another reason I opted to have a separate phone. I've had my personal number forever!

Our policy is similar and I've opted for 2 phones. Company is on Verizon and personal is ATT, so I have coverage on one or both wherever I am.

I wouldn't get reimbursed for using my own plan, so I'd prefer to use theirs. If I chose to use my personal number, I could keep it when I leave, but I'm not in sales.

 

[nene0182]

My husband is on call 24/7 so he just uses his company phone as his personal phone as well. He is allowed to and has no limits on data. He does have a personal phone that very few people know the number too (close friends and family) that he brings with on vacation.

 

[verleniahall]

I use use my cell for work stuff - everyone has my # anyway

 

[DebbieB]

When I traveled a lot for work about 10 years ago, I was provided a work Blackberry. I had to carry both phones, I wasn't specifically told I couldn't use the Blackberry for personal and I know many people did. I didn't want them having a record of my personal calls. The one time I did use it for personal was when I had a business trip to India. I made arrangements to have International service added to it as directed. Someone dropped the ball and didn't do it. I get a call about a month after I came back about the use of my Blackberry and why didn't I get International service. I contacted the person I requested it through and she had proof she requested it. So some other department had to pay the big bill...…… Eventually my company went to iPhones and at that time they decided I wasn't traveling enough to be entitled to one, so I turned in the Blackberry.