Does your employee pay your cellphone/internet expense?

[KrillBee]

I haven't had a need for a cell phone at work until recently when I was added to the on-call roster. I am on call one week per every 5 weeks. For this, I've been asked to have a cell phone on me, and to have internet access either on the phone or available at home (and not be too far from home) for reporting and troubleshooting.

My work agrees to compensate employees for "business usage" of internet and phone. This "business" usage idea assumes that everyone already would use these things on their own for personal usage, so the reimbursement is not for the full cost. My work said that they'd contribute $90 towards phone and internet and they asked if that was acceptable.

For internet, comcast in my area costs around $65 per month while dsl is about $45 per month (with phone line).

Obviously, we all know how much cell phone plans cost. 450 minutes costs around $40, plus other fees.

If I went with the barebones for cell and internet, I still would have to pay more than $90 a month after taxes and mandatory fees are included. I have to buy the phone. Contracts would be in my name. So if I changed jobs or something, I'd be stuck with the bills. I suppose most my costs are covered, and this isn't that bad a deal. I'm thinking I'll just tell them $90 is fair enough and do it.

What do you folks have in terms of phone and internet expense coverage with your employers? What do you think is fair? Honestly, I think the employer should cover all of it, unless you are dumb and use a bunch of phone minutes/textsfor personal stuff and go over the allotted minutes.

 

[LS21]

unless you work for a mini mini operation, everything should be covered fully unless you have unreasonable, anomalous amount of personal usage... (which, in practice, should, and is, not tracked/monitored)

 

[mugs]

My company provided me with a cell phone (iPhone). I've never been willing to pay for a data plan, so I've always had a standard cell phone. This company wants everyone to have an Internet-enabled phone so we can receive e-mails if there is a problem with one of our servers, so they buy the phones and pay for the service.

They also offered to pay for my Internet service since I work from home, but I don't need them to pay for that. I'd have broadband Internet regardless of where I worked.

At my old company all we got was a discount from Verizon for cell service (20% off). There was no requirement that we have home Internet service or a cell phone. The only requirement was that we got our jobs done. Home Internet service and a phone are conveniences that might help you avoid going into the office when you otherwise might need to. I think it's expected that most professionals will have both a cell phone and some kind of Internet service, just like it has always been expected that you'd have a home phone and transportation to work and appropriate clothing (and people generally don't expect their employers to pay for those things).

Paying for cell phone and Internet service is a perk. It's a nice perk, and it's a perk that people seem to appreciate more than if they received the equivalent amount in higher salary, so it's a smart perk for companies to provide. It's funny how stupid companies can be sometimes. At my old job one of the perks was free snacks and drinks. Probably cost the company $5 per employee per week. When the economy soured the company reduced the spending on snacks and drinks. They saved next to nothing, and the impact on morale was huge (because of the message it sent). Dumbasses.

 

[D1gger]

Originally posted by: KrillBee
I haven't had a need for a cell phone at work until recently when I was added to the on-call roster. I am on call one week per every 5 weeks. For this, I've been asked to have a cell phone on me, and to have internet access either on the phone or available at home (and not be too far from home) for reporting and troubleshooting.

My work agrees to compensate employees for "business usage" of internet and phone. This "business" usage idea assumes that everyone already would use these things on their own for personal usage, so the reimbursement is not for the full cost. My work said that they'd contribute $90 towards phone and internet and they asked if that was acceptable.

For internet, comcast in my area costs around $65 per month while dsl is about $45 per month (with phone line).

Obviously, we all know how much cell phone plans cost. 450 minutes costs around $40, plus other fees.

If I went with the barebones for cell and internet, I still would have to pay more than $90 a month after taxes and mandatory fees are included. I have to buy the phone. Contracts would be in my name. So if I changed jobs or something, I'd be stuck with the bills. I suppose most my costs are covered, and this isn't that bad a deal. I'm thinking I'll just tell them $90 is fair enough and do it.

What do you folks have in terms of phone and internet expense coverage with your employers? What do you think is fair? Honestly, I think the employee should cover all of it, unless you are dumb and use a bunch of phone minutes/textsfor personal stuff and go over the allotted minutes.

I think you meant employer, but I disagree. I believe it is fair for an employer to assume that you will have internet access at home, and that you will probably have a cell phone. Either way, for the $90 they are willing to contribute, they are paying probably 90% of the costs for you to have these two items for less than 20% of the usage (1 week in 5).

 

[TridenT]

I think of it this way: At least the employer isn't requiring you to have these things up front... "Well, you must have the internet(broadband of course), and an iPhone or Blackberry or other smartphone with a data plan. You must be able to get online at all times and do various tasks."

I am sure you have a high-pay job?

 

[BoomerD]

If the phone with internet service is REQUIRED for the job, they should pay for both the phone and the service, but backcharge you for any personal use of either/both.

The ONLY time I've ever been required to carry a company phone (union business agent...Nextel) We were alloted X number of minutes per month. Anything over that we were required to pay. I always carried my own cell phone for personal use and used the union's phone strictly for business use.
If the company expects you to use your personal phone/internet, they should compensate you at least a portion of the costs of the services and 100% of any data plan if you didn't have have one already, and if it requires a new phone, they should pay 100% of that cost.

 

[dakels]

i work for an organization about 15k employees. I have a blackberry with unlimited data. I stopped using my own personal phone and just use the work one for both personal and work calls. No problems as I never go over the budgeted time.

 

[nageov3t]

no.

I'm on-call 24/7, but as long as it's my own phone, I don't have any qualms about turning it off when I don't want to be disturbed or not answering it while on vacation (same with checking work emails from home)

 

[jlee]

http://www.tracfone.com/ ?

That should be cheap if you don't use it at all (except when they call you in if you're on call)- I think $90/mo is not a bad deal.

 

[TridenT]

Who cares, you're all probably filthy rich. >_<

 

[frostedflakes]

You don't already have a home internet connection?

Maybe look into a prepaid phone service. If you only use it for work and the usage is not very high, you could end up coming out ahead with the flat $90/mo compensation. No point in getting a normal monthly pay service if you won't use it for personal stuff and most of the minutes will go to waste.

 

[jlee]

You said that DSL is $45/mo with a phone line. Do you not have any phone at all..?

 

[spidey07]

If they require any of these services to do your job they should pay. I've never had to pay for a cell phone.

 

[Tweak155]

They should pay especially if otherwise you wouldn't get it.

My company pays internet and HOME phone (Note: not cell). I use the phone mainly for work but I got the higher speed internet because why not? My work pays for it.

 

[dartworth]

If they require it, they should pay for it.

/thread

 

[compman25]

Works pays for Blackberry, internet, and cable tv.

 

[FoBoT]

No, I am not that important

 

[Cdubneeddeal]

My company pays for my BB

 

[Gunslinger08]

Phone - yes. Internet - no.

 

[imported_Pinto]

Not too bad that they at least will give antthing... most people have these things arewady so take it and run

iff you will

 

[her209]

If I was an employer, I'd try to get away with as much as I could for as long as I could.

 

[Pepsei]

hmmm... my company (wachovia) only gives me $25 for internet allowance and i'm using my personal cell for work (they'll pay for anything that goes over my plan, which almost never happens). but i do get overtime, so i don't mind being on call.

also, the allowance depends on your manger and take into consideration on how much work you may have to do.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: JLee
You said that DSL is $45/mo with a phone line. Do you not have any phone at all..?

Hah, good catch.

 

[thomsbrain]

My company gives us cell phones and pagers, which is bullshit because then we have to carry around two cell phones and a pager and we have so much shit on our belts that we look like cops. They should just give us $30/month to upgrade our personal plans for more minutes and text messaging. Problem solved, and it would be less hassle for the company, too.

 

[TridenT]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
No, I am not that important

I feel your pain! I wonder if I will ever be in a job where I will be called... I doubt it. Probably be a bum all my life. (I have no clue what to do as a career..)