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Cell Phone Usage / Reimbursement

We have had a recent increase in the number employees seeking reimbursement of client/business cell phone usage. We don't have a formal policy regarding cell phone reimbursement. Can anyone share what their current policy is on cell phone usage and reimbursement. Does your policy cover a certain percentage the bill or 100% and for what type of employees. Are these costs passed on to clients?

Traci Allston
The Brand Consultancy

We pay 100% of the cell phone bill for our Account Executives who are dealing with clients on a day to day basis. Our other employees can get a cell phone through the company. When I receive the cell phone invoice I invoice them for their personal cell phones. We ask for a detailed billing for each of our employees, that way if an employee that we normally don't pay for their phone has a work related call they can highlight that call or calls on the invoice and we will reimburse them for those calls. All of our employees take us up on this offer, because even though we are not paying for their cell phone usage they are getting many added features for free or at a reduced rate then if they were to get a cell phone plan on their own. For example, our cell phone carrier gives us deals for the number of lines we have and we pass those deals on to our employees. They get features such as detailed billing, three-way calling, caller ID and voice mail free of charge. They also get a reduced rate for air time. Therefore, even though we are not paying for their cell phone usage 100% they are still benefiting from our phone plan. Hope this helps.

Lynn Ebben
Financial Manager
Marketlink, Inc.

We do have a cell phone reimbursement policy that I believe is as fair as we can make it. No employees are required to cell phones, however, the company will reimburse them for company calls made and received on their personal phones. If no roaming charges are billed, we simply take the entire month57;s phone bill for the employee, divide it by the number of minutes used (both free and billed) and come up with a per minute rate for that bill. Then that rate is used to reimburse the actual number of minutes used on the company57;s behalf. If there are roaming charges on the bill, the employee is reimbursed 100% of the roaming charge for each company call, which may include a modest number of personal phone calls to the employee57;s home while on location.

Andy Joos
Kontroller
Red Tettemer Inc

If you have someone that needs a cell phone please let them turn in to accounting the proper paperwork. This paperwork (agreement form) will have the employee name requesting the phone, the phone number, the amount per month, the number of months the phone is needed and the signature of the manager approving the airtime to be billed to the client. (The client is paying for the airtime not us.) this cost is part of the budget therefore the only amount to be billed is the amount approved. Any remain balance has to be deducted from the employee or the manager is agree to take responsability of the extra charge in his overhead job.

Yasmina Abud
IMAGES USA, Inc

We pay $40.00 per month on the monthly expense reports of sales personnel only. Any amounts beyond that claimed for business prurposes are reviewed on a case by case basis.

Terry L. Jones, Jr.
Harvey & Daughters