Seeking Feedback: How Does Our New Cell Phone Policy Measure Up?

Morning all, and a very special morning to all my DELCHIES! I have recently finalized a cell phone policy for my company, which I am attaching here. Would appreciate it if all you learned people could give me your valuable comments. You can also call me at 9818218317. Cheers and wishing you a cracker of a day today and always!

Wg Cdr Sandeep Sharma

Dear Sir,

I have carefully reviewed every word of the policy and sincerely appreciate the efforts put into drafting it. The language used in the policy reflects a high level of discipline, akin to the language employed by the Honorable judges of the Supreme Court when strongly condemning grossly erroneous acts of omission and commission. However, I believe the wording could also have been more gentle and unequivocal. The policy seems to suggest that having a mobile phone from the organization would be an additional burden on the employee. Furthermore, the HR department appears to be overly burdened with the policy's implementation.

I have previously drafted Systems and Procedures for providing loan facilities to Physically Challenged Persons at the NTPC Foundation. Upon presenting the document to the executives responsible for its implementation, they were shocked to discover their roles and responsibilities. It is common to encounter reactions from users and implementing agencies/departments in such situations. At some point, a definitive stance must be taken to establish a functional system.

Regards,

Yours Truly,

Satish Kumar
Head (HR)
NTPC Foundation
Noida

Hey Sandeep,

A well-written document indeed. From the limited experience that I have had, including a stint in a telecom service-providing company, there are a couple of insights that you can probably use.

1) In the BPO industry, camera/memory card phones are not allowed on the floor. So, in case your organization values data security, this can also be implemented. Additionally, this restriction may be limited to a particular workforce/level. Senior executives, of course, have the option to choose what they prefer.

2) During my time at Airtel, since the phone and connection were provided by the company, we were required to keep the phone switched on 24/7. While this was a bit stringent, you can consider having the phone on during specific shift times, etc.

3) While we had an eligibility amount for the phone based on levels, we were given the choice to buy the phone we preferred. For example, if my eligibility is Rs. 5000, I can buy a phone worth Rs. 10,000 if I am willing to pay the extra Rs. 5,000. As the individual has also invested money in the phone, upon leaving, the employee can take the phone, and the balance is deducted based on their tenure (pro-rata deduction). Additionally, the company can partner with specific shops and manufacturers for discounts on various models, considering the volume. Employees would appreciate the wide choice offered; it shouldn't be like a Chinese market where everyone has the same product/style/color.

4) After 2 years, employees were eligible to buy a new phone or exchange the phone since the phone is assumed to have an efficient life of 2 years. After 2 years, the employees can own the phones and are not required to return them to the company.

5) Also, after 1 year, employees receive an additional allowance to replace old batteries, as the efficiency of batteries (most of them) starts to decline after 1 year.

I hope this helps.

Regards,

Jayant Giri

Hello,

This is really encouraging for all those who are new to policy formulation (myself being one). I just have one query: was any survey conducted within the organization, the industry, or both to determine the cellular limit?

Regards,
Berny

Hi Sandeep!!

I took almost an hour to read it. I must say you have made other people's work easier. I think this is for the first time that I am reading a cell phone policy. And believe me, it's such a brilliant document; it contains almost everything. I think the person who reads it would probably come out with the knowledge of policy formulation. It will help everyone, including me.

Thanks a lot. We Delchies are brilliant, aren't we? What do you say?

Regards,
Anuradha

Dear Sandeep,

This policy is very nicely drafted; good effort. Hey, I wish to know if you have any similar format on Retention Policy as well. I have read many articles on Retention Policy, but found no formal format for the same. If you can share a few more policies with us, that would be really great.

Thanks & Regards,
Bhawna Sachdeva

Hi Sandeep,

I have read through the policy, and I believe you have covered all the areas. However, I have one doubt... Why are reimbursements given? Why can't we credit the eligible amount to the salary? Similarly, the excess usage can be recovered from the employee's salary.

By giving reimbursements, we are creating a process again. For instance, the employee will submit the bill, and we have to scrutinize it, etc. Instead, why can't we keep it simple by directly paying the eligible amount in the salary? If the company is going to pay the bills, then the excess can be deducted from the employee's salary alone.

I am in Muscat, and I have implemented this policy. It is working very successfully for me as it has reduced the number of man-days. Additionally, I have set up a system where the operator provides me with the monthly MIS in a prescribed format that I can directly upload into the salary system.

These are just my views.

All the best.

Hi,

I went through this policy. Just an observation from my experience. Treating this as the company's asset and keeping track of it is very difficult. I tried it for a year and then switched over to an advance if an employee desires to purchase with a limit. Most people have their own cell phones today, and they even buy better instruments. Just think about this.

Siva