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?

Can you get a sat nab on expenses or ask them to buy you one. Stop making work calls on your own phone.

Yanbu at all op

I cannot believe that people are telling you that you don't need a satnav. It's a bit like saying you shouldn't be able to claim for petrol because you are choosing to use a car and before they were invented you had to cycle.

If you are driving satnavs are much easier to use than maps, where you have to pull over and read to memorise route, then you get lost again so repeat and so on. You also have to know where you are, so you end up reading road signs rather than actually looking at the road as you are driving.

But yeah the A to Z suffices for low paid workers with shit employers in 2017.

Scrumpington

Due to the nature of my job I visit people's houses, therefore I must use my map on my phone

People managed to do that kind of job before they had mobile phones and apps. It's not a "must" at all.

Why should the OP fork £30 out because her employers are too tight to properly equip her to be able to carry out her role?

What next, having to provide own computers and printers? It is in the employers interest to ensure their employee can do their job as efficiently as possible - providing a basic smart phone is hardly an extravagance.

, using a map wouldn't suffice due to the fact I have to find exact houses in locations I don't know.

How the hell do you think people managed up until about 10 years ago?

Houses have numbers on so that you can find which one you need!

You can download Google maps on WiFi then it doesn't use data, I drive to Italy and back by doing this, didn't cost me anything.

I think they should pay for your phone or at least towards the cost.

As for all of those people who are chastising the OP for being too lazy to buy and A-Z or print out maps - seriously?! I'm sure that would take longer than the OP using modern technology which means she can be more efficient.

Just ask your boss OP and explain the situation.

Surely the answer is to speak to your employer and find out what they are and aren't willing to provide. Back in the day I had a phone for work and had to submit a breakdown of calls for tax purposes. It was a pain. If it is the odd call then I'd suck it up or ask for them to give you a payg brick for work.

And I'm in the camp that says google maps aren't essential. They are just convenient.

How the hell do you think people managed up until about 10 years ago?

Well sometimes driving round areas of cities you didn't know with great difficulty.

Youu can do maps offlline. I don't have data so use maps offline fine.

It sounds like you already have a smartphone, so unless you have to make loads of phone calls, you can use your own phone without incurring extra costs. I use the Here app as a Sat Nav - you can download maps on wifi so it doesn't use data. There are a few apps like this, so just download one and try it out.

I think a lot of companies assume nearly every employee has a smartphone these days with loads of minutes included so see no need to provide a phone. Most contracts even cheap ones have loads or unlimited minutes these days, but if you find yourself paying extra for calls, you should be able to claim these back on production of an itemised bill.

If they did provide phones, there would be arguments about what sort of phone it was - some people like Android or iphone for example.

Does your employer know that you are incurring extra expenses? Have you asked about it?

I'd take the line of assuming they will want to cover your unavoidable work costs, and ask politely how you go about submitting your expenses (unless you have been specifically told you don't get expenses - have you? Or have you just assumed as they haven't been offered?)

Do you have any colleagues doing the same job? Or is it a tiny company and perhaps a bit of a cowboy outfit?- If you do, what do they do?

If you're driving I'd assume you were using in car sat nav which doesn't have data charges obviously, so they may not know you are using a phone. Could you ask them to buy you a SAT Nav which remains company property?

I would not expect to be paying for work phone calls, that's not on.

Mind you a depressing number of people buy work resources out of their wage - I remember buying all sorts out of my own pocket when I was a teacher, and most of it could not be claimed back as there wasn't budget (though there was budget for the head to get himself a futuristic table style touch screen computer for his office just to play on and show off with for no clearly explicable educational reason).

If op is a home carer she can have up to fifty calls a day! That's a lot of maps.

Totally agree with Scrumpington.

Using an A- Z? Why would anyone do that?

I would put money on the OP being under pressure to make a certain number of visits per hour etc. and therefore using a phone is much more sensible and efficient.

I might start writing letters because they are cheaper than broadband to send my emails.

YANBU OP, of course your company should provide you with a phone if they expect you to use one. You sound like you work for a wanky employer who is taking the piss, but going by this thread many people are more than happy to expect shitty treatment from employers and that's why they get away with it, and more than likely if you do speak up you'll be made to feel like you are being unreasonable. You aren't though.

Of course your employer should pay any work related expenses. But to claim you can't use a map is ridiculous. Are you that special?

I'm in the same position OP, I'm waiting for my manager to get me a phone.

I just expense anything out of my phone plan, mainly 0800 numbers and my data for when I am using google maps on my phone.
Why should OP use a map when there is a perfectly good app on her phone that'll do it for her? Also google maps will tell you the best route in regards to traffic in the area, a map cannot do that!

Raise it with your manager and ask if you can expense the out of contract charges.

But to claim you can't use a map is ridiculous. Are you that special?

If you cannot see what the issue is with driving around reading an A-Z when in 2017 there is a better option then it isn't the OP who is 'special' as you put it.

Im still a bit confused as to how the OP can be ringing the office to put card payments through. I thought only the card holder should do that otherwise its fraud?

A-Z may be the better option if you don't want to pay to use google maps.

I use GoogleMaps. It is easier than a map. But for goodness sake, I know how to use a map, in fact I have a number of them for when I drive into rural areas where there is no GPS signal. Posters like me who commented on it are just flabbergasted the OP cannot get her head around finding "a specific address I don't know" without GoogleMaps.

Good little worker bee

Give it a rest Dave Spart.

As countless people have suggested, the OP can download maps for free over wi-fi before setting off. Hardly a Luddite solution. Suggesting she does that doesn't make her an exploited worker or a victim of the vicisitude of late capitalism.

the OP can download maps for free over wi-fi before setting off

Yep in her own time I'm sure and therefore unpaid. Using a device that she could potentially damage during the course of her (I suspect) low paid work. No wonder companies get away with treating people like shit with some of the attitudes on this thread.

If your employer is expecting you to use a phone for work then they should provide the phone and contract.
It amazes me how many people just accept that they have to be out of pocket because they have crap employers.
An employer should provide the equipment that you need to do your job and not expect you to fund their business.

I don't think using your own phone for work is unreasonable really.

Most working people have a smartphone and most of those will be on a contract with a decent amount of minutes, texts and data. You can get unlimited everything for £10-15 pm plus the cost of the phone. Most people have this anyway, whether they use it or not for work.

Most people would rather not have to carry 2 phones, would not want their personal phone usage on their work phone, and would want to choose their own phone, rather than what their employer gives them.

Therefore, given the choice, most people would probably rather just use their own phone for work and claim back any additional costs for extra data, or calls to funny numbers.