Exploring Unlimited Mobile Bill Reimbursement: Has Your Company Tried This Approach?

Dear All,

I am revising our existing mobile/cell phone policy. We want to bring in transparency and show that we trust our employees. I want to know if there are any companies that do not have a maximum limit for monthly reimbursement of mobile bills for all levels. Generally, for top management, there is no upper limit, but I would like to explore the possibility of extending this to all levels and understand the implications. Are there any companies that have successfully implemented such a policy? It would be helpful if I could get a few examples.

Regards,
Vandana

I don't know when you posted it or if you still need any opinion. Yet, I am trying to present our experience:

1. Deleting all the monthly reimbursement limits is nowhere implemented in public sector organizations. Being a senior officer of the largest State Government for the past 34 years, I have visited various organizations but failed to find a single organization that enjoys such decisions.

2. At the top level, the sense of responsibility and mindset hardly lures anyone to misuse the mobile connectivity expenditure holiday. However, if you free everyone, then things would definitely go chaotic.

3. I experienced it in a different manner as well. I foresee the cabinet ministry's public relations and media management as well. The subordinate officers under me demanded that they should be allowed at least INR 500 monthly allowance as mobile expenditure, so that they may communicate with each other freely without any burden on their pocket. I tried to allocate some of the seniors among them to have official CUG SIMs (close user group calling cards but no mobile handset. We made calling to all official CUG numbers free). Despite that, we found that our mobile expenditure was skyrocketing. So, we stepped back and decided to fix a per month limit of the expenditure ceiling of INR 500. Crossing this limit was not permitted, and people were forced to pay for the overspending.

4. Somehow, I found that reimbursing and facilitating the subordinate officers with mobile phone connections helped us directly. We became able to catch any of our officers at will. Before allowing them to have CUG SIMs, nobody was traceable when needed. Now, they are approachable whenever needed.

5. Recently, we provided similar CUG SIMs to other useful staff with similar riders. We are happy. We may contact them. They are connected to us all the time.

6. If your budget allows, you may provide such facilities, creating slabs of such comforts yourself.

All the best.