To think that my boss should pay for my phone contract if I have to use my personal phone for work?

[Liliannna1]

This isn't a scenario where I have work emails coming through that I must respond to, but I do however have to make maybe a few phone calls throughout the day plus sometimes use the map feature to get to destinations.

I wouldn't really care, however I have used all my data up 2 months in a row now as I understand using the map feature uses lots of data.

What do you think?

I think it depends on your job and salary tbh.

Do you normally get expenses? Talk to your manager about how to go about expensing it if you want to.

Salary is fairly low and no I do not get any expenses.

The more it's happening the more it's annoying me!

Use a map? Plan your route before you go?

Like before mobiles existed...

If they insist you use a phone at work, they should provide one for you. If you're regularly working away from your office (at client's sites?) I'd have thought as a h&s measure, they'd provide a phone.

Say that you can't afford to pay for the phone for work purposes and that they need to provide you with a work phone. They shouldn't expect you to have to pay for work calls or data.

That would annoy me too. I would just say that you don't have any data left and ask if they will pay for more allowance if they want you to use maps on your phone for work purposes. Find out how much it costs to top up the data allowance first of course.

Yabu about the map, you're choosing to use that. Phone calls - do you HAVE to use your phone as in your boss will kick off if you don't make calls or do you choose to do that rather than make the calls back at the office? (Assume you have an office base)

Either way no, they shouldn't pay for your phone contract, you should be able to claim expenses though for calls made via an itemised bill. I didn't think many contracts charged for normal calls now though with all the free minutes etc

Due to the nature of my job I visit people's houses, therefore I must use my map on my phone, using a map wouldn't suffice due to the fact I have to find exact houses in locations I don't know. And I have to make phone calls to the office so the people in my office can put through card payments

're the maps

You can download areas over wifi for offline use

If you have to make phone calls outside the office to do your job, you should absolutely have a company phone OR they give you a set amount each month towards your phone costs.

Ask. If they say no, say you're unable to fund the phone use and stop. If you need to use a phone to do your job, they'll have no choice.

Gahbuggerit. Have you seen an itemised bill these days? As most contracts offer free calls and a reasonable amount of data you only get the calls that cost (outside of plan) itemised.

You don't have to use your phone map that's your choice. Maybe suggest to your boss that they purchase a company sat have?

Calls should be able to be claimed back, are you using up all the free minutes on your package?

As a side are you calling your office colleagues to put a card payment through on someone else's behalf? I didn't think that was allowed?

A map works. I'm a social worker, making home visits is literally my job. I only ever need a map, even in really convoluted and complex council estates.

However from a h&s perspective you should have a phone. Work provide a phone for me. It's a really basic nokia. doesn't have a colour screen or capacity for internet.

And I have to make phone calls to the office so the people in my office can put through card payments

Refuse to do it until you get a phone. How many other people do your job?

People used to find places back in the 90s too :o especially places they'd never been before

You definitely need to be provided with a work phone.

Yep, did my expenses with my itemised bill in my previous job.

Ask work to provide a sat nav!

ohbehave what mobile company are you with? I get an itemised bill, it's in a different section to the standard bill bit, but it is there.

Talk to work, we have this occasionally - anyone who travels regularly has a company phone but if you don't and your sent somewhere then calls and data can be claimed back - they recently paid up for a weeks worth of roaming data for me when I got sent to the states.

So no, YANBU unreasonable to ask them to pay - like Pp have said, if it's important you have a phone they'll soon pay for one for you...but if you don't say anything they'll just keep letting you use your own data and minutes

I'm sure you could reasonably ask for a £5 a month top up of data or something similar to cover map use - or ask them to buy you an A to Z!

You don't NEED to use your phone for the map, you could ask them to provide you with a sat-nav instead.

But if they expect you to make work calls outside the office, they should be providing you with a way to do so - either with a phone with a dual sim function, or with a works mobile.

My work pay a contribution to my mobile phone costs.

I was expected to use my personal mobile for work for making and receiving calls especially when on duty (another social worker working for a large local authority). I withdrew this and changed my number when my boss pulled me up for charging my phone at work! Had been out on a complex duty case which required a number of calls and noticed the battery was running low and I was still on duty for the remainder of the day. We now have one team mobile for duty which can be a pita getting it back for the next person if out late and there is always someone who forgets.