Should you expect a refund for using your personal phone for work calls?

scheming_gypsy

Should you expect a refund? only if it's been agreed in advance.
When they were told to use their own phone they should have asked who'd be liable for any costs incurred.

prowla

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

Problem here is whether the supervisor said this with the employers blessing.

As when a situation like this arises, the employer could say - we wouldn't ask you to do that & supervisor shouldn't have. It's your fault as you should keep your phone with you at all times.

If the supervisor said it in the context of instructing employees to do their duty, then they did it as representative of the company.

JustAnotherSaver

scheming_gypsy wrote: »

Should you expect a refund? only if it's been agreed in advance.
When they were told to use their own phone they should have asked who'd be liable for any costs incurred.

That'd still only be a verbal agreement. When it comes down to it, it could be the classic - i never said that.

prowla wrote: »

If the supervisor said it in the context of instructing employees to do their duty, then they did it as representative of the company.

It still wouldn't stop those above the supervisor saying supervisor shouldn't have said it.

Anyway, we'll see what comes of this. I've only asked on behalf of the worker which is as much as i'm going to get involved in. Anything else is on their shoulders.

scheming_gypsy

it would only be a verbal contract but at the minutes there's just a 'use your personal phone, you get free minutes' contract.

prowla

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

It still wouldn't stop those above the supervisor saying supervisor shouldn't have said it.

Anyway, we'll see what comes of this. I've only asked on behalf of the worker which is as much as i'm going to get involved in. Anything else is on their shoulders.

Sure, but then you would be in the position whether you should take anything else the supervisor says at face value, and that would undermine the role of supervisor.

kyle6432

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

Just a quick one as the person in question doesn't have an account on here-

They were given a works phone which they left with their vehicle before they went on leave (holiday).
Other workers used this vehicle while the person was on holiday. This phone was certainly in the vehicle after the holiday began because i saw it myself.

When the person returned, the phone was missing. Person reported this to their supervisor & was told to go looking for it. They scoured the vehicle & also asked whether the companies repair department had removed the phone - no.
The supervisor called up the driver who was drafted in to drive while said person was on holiday - as you can guess, they'd either not seen it or didn't have it.

Person in question then told to use their personal phone for company calls as they had 'free minutes'. Unfortunately these minutes aren't unlimited.

So calls were made - to co workers, to supervisors & to company customers (all work related).

All went well until this last billing period when said person had gone over their minutes allowance & had been charged £20 for extra calls.

Worker then raises this with their supervisor & is told to bring in an itemized bill highlighting the work related calls & hand this to the payroll dept.
HOWEVER, supervisor said the worker may very well not get any refund at all because they left their works phone in the vehicle & didn't take it with them.

* Worker says they were never told to take the phone with them & thought it had to remain with the vehicle. Either way, clearly a breakdown of communication.
* Worker was told to use their personal phone as they had free minutes, but this was only a verbal instruction (& therefore, never happened!)
* What if the employer says that all calls to the customers are personal related? Despite being in works time etc. There's no proof these are customer numbers. Calls to other workers & supervisors can't be argued as the numbers will be recognised.


So should this worker expect some sort of refund they are asking?

If not, would it be unreasonable for them to then refuse to make & take any calls on their personal phone until they got provided a works phone which they now know to keep on their person?

As previous replies have said if the work phone has been lost or stolen then the sim should be cancelled and a disciplinary should be the best option, yes you may end up with a warning but it was a genuine error. Some companies will ask you to reimburse them for the phone and/or costs relating to it.

When I lost my work phone I offered to pay them for a replacement as it was my fault. Luckily it was a cheap nokia, cost £30 to replace and avoided a disciplinary.

My manager also asked me for my personal number which I declined, work is seperate to my social life and they can't do anything about it if you don't want to give out your number. He therefore had to give me a tempoary phone.

As for the employer claiming you get free minutes that I'm afraid is a myth. There is no such thing as free minutes/texts/data on a mobile phone contract, you are paying a charge each month for a set amount of minutes/texts/data whether it be 300 or even unlimited (although unlimited is false as it refers to fair usage). If you didn't pay the monthly charge for your contract you wouldn't get any minutes/texts/data.

Never give out your personal mobile to employers and don't befriend them on social networking sites. They will expolit it.

dappy_breh

The supervisor is in the wrong and your "friend" shouldn't pay any attention to his claims that he may not receive a refund. The employer must indemnify the employee when he has incurred a necessary expense whilst acting on behalf of the employer.

* Worker was told to use their personal phone as they had free minutes, but this was only a verbal instruction (& therefore, never happened!)

Not to sure what you mean here. Did the verbal instruction take place or not?

JustAnotherSaver

What i meant was anything verbal never happens does it. People always deny it, it never happened officer, that person is lying, i never said that. The only time anything gets said is when there's evidence, witnesses.

Besides, this thread is really quite old now. The employee has decided not to chase it & has taken the hit to the pocket & has done so 3 times since.

More fool them.

Takeaway_Addict

JustAnotherSaver wrote: »

What i meant was anything verbal never happens does it. People always deny it, it never happened officer, that person is lying, i never said that. The only time anything gets said is when there's evidence, witnesses.

Besides, this thread is really quite old now. The employee has decided not to chase it & has taken the hit to the pocket & has done so 3 times since.

More fool them.

Specially as he has been told to take it home to stop it from being used...

JustAnotherSaver

Not sure what you're on about here as it's been dealt with, but thanks anyway.