Mobile Phone - Fair Use Policy
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This policy documents a framework to ensure the fair usage of mobile phones provided to employees of Maintenance Essentials. It will benefit the Maintenance Essentials by reducing unnecessary costs or abuse of company owned mobile phones.
Definitions
- Business usage
- Maintenance Essentials mobile phones are issued primarily for official company business and are not to be used for any unlawful purpose. Typical examples of Maintenance Essentials business include calls made to clients or work colleagues while away from your normal place of business
- Reasonable personal usage
- It may be necessary for employees to use their company mobile phones for personal use where there is no alternative. Employees are expected to strictly limit such calls. E.g calls made when traveling on business or when delayed due to business meetings
- Reasonable limit
- A reasonable limit for costs associated with mobile phone usage is equal to the preceding rolling three month average total cost of all employee mobile phone usage for that period
- Short Message Service (SMS)
- SMS commonly referred to as "text messaging," is a service for sending short messages of up to 160 characters to mobile devices, including cellular phones, smartphones and PDAs.
- Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS)
- MMS is a descendant of SMS (Short Messaging Service). MMS extends text messaging to include longer text, graphics, photos, audio clips, video clips, or any combination of the above, within certain size limits.
Usage and responsibilities
Employees allocated a mobile phone are responsible for its proper use, care, maintenance and safekeeping. Negligence in this matter may result in the recovery of costs from the individual member concerned.
Some limited personal use of a company mobile phone is permitted where this is unavoidable. Where personal costs exceed the reasonable limits laid down these are to be reimbursed by the employee.
Messaging
Maintenance Essentials will not accept costs associated with the subscription or use of premium SMS, or MMS services, these are to be reimbursed by the employee.
Compliance
Use of mobile phones not in accord with this policy may result in recovery of costs, withdrawal of mobile phone privileges, and disciplinary action.
Each employee is responsible for the management and monitoring of their own mobile phone use, and compliance with this policy.
Employee owned mobile phones
Maintenance Essentials will reimburse employees for mobile phone call costs on their personal mobile phones that are directly incurred during the transaction of company business if that use has been previously authorised by the relevant business manager.
Using your mobile phone while driving
Do not use the hand-held phone while driving a vehicle. The hand-held use of a mobile phone while driving is a recognised safety risk, and is against the law. If you have to make or receive calls in a car, you must use a hands-free car kit or an alternative form of hands-free phone. There is anecdotal evidence to suggest that using a mobile phone while driving (even hands-free) can increase the likelihood of being involved in a vehicle accident. You are strongly discouraged from using a mobile phone whilst driving as your major task is to arrive safely at your destination.
