6.10 Cellular Phone Reimbursement
I. Purpose
To provide reimbursement for cellular phone utilization for employees with duties that routinely require access by the College while away from the campus or in off-hour situations.
II. Scope
Employees whose job responsibilities warrant the payment of a stipend.
III. General
Cabinet members are responsible for the approval of all stipends and level of stipend payment, as well as for annual review of continued business need for a cellular device stipend.
The College will pay eligible employees a stipend to cover the presumed business use of personal cellular devices and service when their duties require off-hour availability and communication. It is assumed that the device will be used for personal and business use, thus the overall costs are shared and the stipend is not intended to cover the full cost of cellular service.
The stipend will be considered taxable income to the employee and will be added to each paycheck. The employee is not required to track business use to report to the College.
Employees receiving a stipend must maintain active cellular device service, agree to carry the cellular device with them, keep it charged and in operational condition, and be accessible for business use as required by their supervisor. The employee must also agree that the business use of the cellular device will be consistent with College policy and with all applicable local, state or federal laws, including use of a cellular device while driving.
Though the cellular device is owned by the employee, to the extent that phone calls, text communications or emails relate to College business, those phone records including the content of texts and emails are subject to the Pennsylvania Right to Know Law.
In some circumstances a College assigned cellular device may be justified to facilitate communication and is substituted for any stipend payment. Terms of use outlined above are applicable in such situations.
Violations of this policy will result, at a minimum, in the loss of the stipend or College cellular device privileges.
IV. Approval
President – July 23, 2019; November 9, 2023; Board of Trustees – December 14, 2023
VI. Responsibility
Chief Financial Officer