Cell Phone

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POLICY NO: 6076
EFFECTIVE DATE: 09/10/08
REVISED DATE: 09/22/08
REVIEWED DATE: 09/03/08

Cellular Phone Policy

Basis of Policy

The University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) established a cellular phone policy to provide uniform guidelines for the use and procurement of University-provided cellular phones in a manner consistent with U.S. Internal Revenue Service Code and UNMC Policy No. 5000, Purchasing Policy.

Policy

Cellular telephones may be provided to certain UNMC employees to conduct activities incident to their University employment that either cannot be conducted on a land-line telephone or for which it would be inefficient to use a land-line telephone. Such activities can include improving customer service, enhancing business efficiency, and providing safety and/or security. Cellular phones may be required to be carried by certain UNMC employees who are required to be available 24/7 by their supervisor as a condition of employment.

Requests for cellular phones, including a statement of the business need, must be approved at the level of a department chair, center director, dean, assistant vice chancellor or above. UNMC cellular phones and service are provided solely through a contract with a wireless cellular contractor through the UNMC Procurement Office; exceptions may be granted by the UNMC Procurement Manger only if coverage is not adequate through the contractor.

According to the Internal Revenue Service Code, any personal use of an employer-issued phone by the employee may be considered taxable income and subject to withholding taxes. If personal calls are kept to a minimum, the employee is not responsible for any portion of the basic, routine monthly charge for service and plan-allotted minutes. When personal calls/minutes cause the monthly plan minutes to be exceeded, reimbursement for those minutes must be made.

Employees are responsible for operating vehicles and potentially hazardous equipment in a safe and prudent manner. Therefore, employees must refrain from using cellular phones while operating University vehicles.

Please address any questions about this policy to the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Business and Finance. This page maintained by dkp.