cell phones at work

[Fourth and 8]

Does your company provide them?

Does your company give you a stipend and if so, how much?

Did your company once provide it and then force you to pay for it - and if so, what was the response of the employees?

 

[mike311gd]

I get $60 a month for my cell phone bill, but it was my phone before I got there.

 

[thegrifter]

My company supplies them for the news people, but not sports. At my last job, they at least provided you with a discount through the cell phone provider on your monthly bill.

 

[thegrifter]

And by the way, I no longer answer work calls on my cell phone.

 

[printdust]

We get a $20 stipend after they ceased paying for all cellphones. Which, of course, doesn't come close to paying for one.

I would think for sports it would really suck because while nights are free, when do people chase you down? Daytime. Before 5 for damn sure. I couldn't imagine a sports guy or girl not getting a phone and a news person getting one.

 

[ColbertNation]

My first place had a deal worked out with a provider for a discount when you bought a phone, but paid nothing toward the monthly bill. Of course, I wasn't there long enough to take advantage of that quasi-perk.

 

[Some Guy]

Our paper provides them to most employees. I still use my personal one, for simplicity's sake. I just take the cost off my income tax.

 

[imjustagirl2]

I think some people in my department get them, but I never have. And I don't itemize...so I'm screwed.

We do have a discount (15 percent off) but only through Verizon.

 

[pressboxramblings07]

Uh, no.

 

[John]

I get $25 a month toward my bill. I will write off a good portion of the rest of my bill since I'm never in the office and I make or receive about 10 work calls a day on my cell.

 

[Sxysprtswrtr]

I found it interesting to learn my place has a reserve of cell phones - in a closet, I believe - that are for as-needed-basis or emergency distribution.


[Thinking - wonder if my Christmas bonus is in that closet, too?]

 

[pressboxer]

I get $40 per month for mine, but that doesn't come near to covering the bill.

When I got my latest phone, I got one I could use as an air card so I would be able to send from the road. That service is an extra $60 per month, making the total package about $115 per month.

While many places I send from have wireless or ethernet hookups, there are still plenty that provide nothing in the way of connectivity. The phone provides peace of mind in such instances. I guess that's worth the extra money I spend.

 

[Starman]

I was one of the last holdouts in the civilized world to get a cell phone, in 2003.

But one of our writers still doesn't have one (he and his wife have one between them, and she carries it), and it's a PITFA when we can't reach him sometimes. Game goes into OT, no way for us to know. Photo assignments changed, no way for us to know. Not like we'd be calling him every night, but the times once a month or so when we need to reach him, it's a real pain in the ass when we can't.

 

[crusoes]

"PITFA." I like that.

 

[Flip Wilson]

Job before last: Provided the phone for most employees through a sponorship deal with Alltel
Last job: $50 a month toward the bill
(Those were both SID gigs.)
Current job: Nothing, but I teach now so I rarely use my cell for business anway

 

[Orange Hat Bobcat]

Similar to others, I receive a reimbursement of $24.95 per month. Not bad, especially considering I no longer receive more than one or two work calls per day and my bill has dropped below $50 per month. Wish I received more of a stipend, but I won't complain. It could be worse.

 

[Some Guy]

I don't feel all that screwed, because even without the job I'd still have a cell phone, and probably with the same plan. So I'd spend the same money either way.

Like I mentioned earlier, I also have an office-issued phone, but I haven't even bothered to give the office that number. I keep my personal phone with me for the most part, because everyone I know calls me on that. I only use the office phone in arena press rooms, because it gets far better reception in such places than my personal phone, for some reason.

 

[Rex Harrison]

I didn't get ****. No phone. No compensation. After the first month's bill came in with way too many minutes than I wanted to pay for out of my measly check, I never made or accepted a work-related call on my cell.

 

[Tom Petty]

you guys shouldn't ever leave the office then there would be no uses for cell phones.

 

[amraeder]

Company provides them. It's a big, ol' (and therefore super-cheap, I'm sure) thing, but it gets the job done.