[trnnbrn97]

Does anyone have a corporate mobile phone policy they wouldn't mind sharing? We are a growing company have what used to be a 13-phone account has turned into about 60. We never had a policy/guidelines and are trying to create one.

If anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. Thanks!

[sherees]

PERSONAL COMMUNICATION DEVICES POLICY

Personal remote communication devices (PCD), i.e., cell phones, PDAs, Blackberrys, are currently used in the transaction of both business and personal matters. Our organization provides the following guidelines:

Purchase and ownership

PCDs used for business purposes are to be purchased privately by the employee and the number listed in the internal directory. Preferred providers are: Verizon, ATT, and Sprint. The organization will not purchase PCDs for employees to use. Persons currently using organization purchased phones shall be able to keep these phones until the current contract expires. It is understood that a 1099 will be issued for the value of that phone.

Usage fees/reimbursement

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The following management levels who may seek reimbursement are: any exempt employee, non-exempt employees supervising direct delivery who have programs out of the organization facility. Non-exempt employees must have pre-approval from the Branch Executive.

Organization phones

The organization may purchase off-site cell phones for safety purposes. Example would be after school or remote day camp sites. Any staff person using one of these phones for personal calls shall reimburse the organization all charges including a % of time /total charge. Supervisory approval must be in place prior to using a organization phone for personal use. Abuse of these phones, including an inordinate amount of personal call time, shall result in counseling up to and including termination. Cell Phones are to remain at the site.

Conduct guidelines

Regardless of whether the organization owns the PCD or the individual is using their own PCD for business purposes, conduct on these shall adhere to professional behavior at all times. Using it for purposes of harassment, taking unauthorized pictures in the organization or in organization programs, or downloading material from the internet that is not a business necessity or in alignment with our policies shall be grounds for termination.

PCDs are to be turned off or set on “silent” during meetings, special events, volunteer celebrations, training sessions, and during direct delivery of programs.

Other staff who carry their own private PCDs for their personal usage should turn those off while working for the organization. They may be turned back on during breaks.

Recognizing that some personal usage may occur during business hours, in all cases, persons who abuse a PCD for personal calls while on organization time shall be counseled up to and including termination of employment.

In general, if the organization does not allow members to use cell phones in specific areas in the facility, staff shall not to use their cellphones or other PCDs in program areas and/or locker rooms.

[Lindaperry]

Somehow, I agree with most of that but not with all of it. On the item of having phones "silent" during meetings, I am guessing you mean the phone is on "vibration"?

When phones are on vibration, that is the same as having the phone on. The receiver of the phone call still interrupts the meeting because they pick up the phone and they either speak right there or they go outside to take the call immediately. The only difference is that you do not hear the phone ring. But you hear everything else.

Meetings are rarely that long that individuals cannot simply turn their phones completely off or even take out their batteries. Sometimes individuals have turned their phones off--they thought, only to have the phone ring and interrupt the meeting.

Best policy with meetings is leave the phone out of the room, or turn off the phone completely. (If a person has an emergency situation, where someone is in the hospital, that might present a different problem. Certainly they do not want to miss the call from the hospital or doctor. In this case, and only in this one case, should the phone be on vibrate.

And instead of interrupting the meeting by making an announcement that they are going outside to make a call, just let them leave the room. When this is pre-arranged ahead of time, everyone knows why a person is leaving the room.

Everyone needs to decide, what is more important--this very important meeting or everyone else's "personal" phone calls?