Advantus Corp does not provide its employees with company-owned cell phones for their use. Employees whose job duties require them to regularly use or be available by personal cell phone shall receive a cell phone allowance to compensate for the business use of their personal device.
Determination of Allowance
A cell phone allowance is available either on an ongoing or short-term basis. Receipt of a cell phone allowance shall be based upon job duties. Individuals whose duties routinely or temporarily include the following may be eligible for a regular or temporary (minimum of two pay periods) allowance:
- Critical and/or emergency decision making
- Safety or security
- Considerable time away from an assigned office or work area, without assigned telephone access
- Required to be accessible outside of scheduled or normal working hours on a routine basis
The employee’s department head must confirm, in writing, that an employee meets at least one of these criteria and recommend that the employee receive a cell phone allowance to compensate for business use of a personal cell phone.
- A request for a cell phone allowance may be made at any time during the fiscal year.
- Allowances are not available retroactively.
- All approved allowances will be processed on the first available payroll.
- A cell phone allowance does not constitute an increase to base pay and will not be included in the calculation of percentage increases to base pay for purposes of calculating pay raises.
Employee Agreement
To receive a cell phone allowance, the employee agrees to the following:
- Obtain and maintain a personal cell phone and sufficient service to enable accomplishment of necessary job duties.
- They are responsible for any loss, damage, insurance, and/or replacement of their personal cell phone.
- Carry the cell phone and keep it charged and in operational condition as necessary to perform their job duties.
- Share their cell phone number and that their cell phone number may be shared as necessary for business purposes. Report to their department head any change to their cell phone number
- Install applications as requested by the company, including but not limited to a two-factor authenticator application and zoom or related business communication application.
Amount of Allowance
The dollar amount of the cell phone allowance is $35.00 per bi-weekly pay period.
Use of Phone
Use of the phone in any manner contrary to local, state, or federal laws will constitute misuse, and will result in immediate termination of the cell phone allowance.
Review
The VP, Shared Services is responsible for annual review of the list of employees receiving the cell phone allowance, to determine if existing allowances should be continued as is, changed, or discontinued, and to determine if any new allowances should be established.
Costs
Advantus Corp shall not bear any costs associated with an employee’s maintenance of a personal cell phone and related service, other than an allowance approved pursuant to this policy.
Department Responsibility
It is the manager’s responsibility to notify HR, in writing, to terminate a cell phone allowance if the employee no longer qualifies.