cell phones at work

Uncle Sugar provides phones to certain folks ... company commander, first sergeant, battalion commander, etc. ...

Second lieutenant three_bags_full? Uh, no.

I'm lucky if I don't get yelled at just for being a lieutenant. :

 

I got fed up with the shitty company-issued laptop at my old job -- a non-metro -- and decided to buy my own, figuring I could get a lot of use out of it anyway. So I bought the one I typing on full-time now. And when I moved to a metro paper, it was assumed I had one. I claimed it on my taxes last year and got a bit back for it.

 

I don't have to tell you, but this is beyond cheap.

 

I get 500 minutes per month through our company's Cingular plan. I never see a bill, but I suspect I've never come close to using 200 minutes/month.

The monthly minutes do not roll over, however.

 

WTF? How can you be a reporter and they not give you a cell phone and/or reimburse you for your personal phone? How are you supposed to communicate with people? Do they not give you e-mail, too? An Internet connection?

 

I was hoping this thread was about cell phones at work. I fucking hate them. Why can't people put them on vibrate at work?

I don't want to hear some lame-ass music box song, the theme for an 80s TV show or any of the other possible ringtones.

I don't want to hear you talking to your grandma, wife, girlfriend, credit card company, etc. At least take that shit out in the hall, douchebag!

I'm not easily annoyed, but cell phones bother me immensely when I'm at work and phones go off several times an hour in an otherwise quiet office. Especially bad when a coworker leaves their phone unattended at their desk and someone keeps calling them over and over again.

 

You'd change your tune if you met my grandma. She rules.

 

Those are excellent questions. I don't get it either. My last two places provided phones -- and paid the bills. Imagine that. They gave us notepads and pens, too.

 

What I hate are all the little fuckers who text like its going to get them a bj or something. Text messaging is retarded. I hate it!!!!! And no, I'm not much older than these little punks.

 

So is there a basis for challenging a company for hiring you under the pretense of making these provisions such as cellphones and then changing the rules, giving you a stipend that doesn't amount to squat and telling you it's the only way you can keep your job? When there's no consistent amount given throughout the company for these and therefore, no set rule company wide for it?

 

If the company wants to issue me a cellphone (like they do for the photographers), I'd be happy to use it. But until then, I have no intention of giving my personal cell phone number to anyone in the office.

I don't want my boss to be able to reach me whenever he pleases, because he'd likely call just to freak me out. : The PR people for the pro team I cover have my cell number, but other than that, it's reserved for my family and friends.

I use my landline solely for work-related calls. I used to get the entire cost back, including the line charges, because I said, "I wouldn't have a landline if I didn't work here."

We've got new management, that excuse doesn't fly anymore. There's also a new reimbursement policy, but after a bit of griping in the summer -- when I was working at home a lot more than normal -- I'm allowed to submit my landline bill rather than getting a percentage of my cell bill back.

I itemize all the calls, I get a check.

I just pay for the line charges, which is okay with me because I don't want to go cell-only... yet.

 

You must really hate the people you work with.