Using Mobile Phone... Ethical Or Non-ethical?

The company a friend of mine works for provides them with free mobile connections. Now as per the agreement, the employees can make as many local calls as they want and as many sms (local,national or international) as they want. However all official STD calls are chargeable. So when the bill comes, employees are instructed to demarcate their personal & STD calls. Usually no checking is done of the same as the employees are trusted.

However my question is, are not personal calls official as well? Since the free mobile connection is given as a benefit to the employee... for his well being, shouldn't personal calls also be considered official. An employee makes personal calls for his mental well being. And his mental well being is important for his motivation and proper functioning in the office. In any case the company is trusting the employee to demarcate personal & official calls. Why then is the employee not trusted to misuse personal calling?

Is it unethical to classify personal calls as official calls??

Regards,

Mathew

Hi,
Nice to think on this issue, but I would like to put some suggestion on this issue.
Every company give the facilities for the employees for better performance and better environment in the organisation.
These facilities should be used within some boundaries or limitations. If all the employees feel that the company has provided the facility so we will misuse them then that's wrong notation.
All employees should feel the company means, it's there livelihood not just working. Never employees should think company property it's OUR company property. If the company saves money, the company will grow big. If the company grows then all the individuals working in the organisation grow.
So, all the employees are to be trained in on these lines. The employees can use mobile phone for making personal call but there should be some limitations on it.
Thank you.
Please give your feedback.
shravan

Dear Sharavan,
I also feel limits need to be preset. Personally I feel so because despite any amount of genuine trusting of employees, there will always be someone who will take advantage otherwise.
Regards,
Mathew