Mobile Communication Devices

Background

The District will follow the procedures below regarding employee mobile communication device
acquisition and usage. 

Procedures

1. Mobile Phones 
   1. Roles Requiring a Mobile Phone
      1. A mobile phone will be provided to employees whose duties and responsibilities require them to have one, as determined by the Secretary-Treasurer).
      2. Mobile devices are issued to specific employees to help them in performance of their job duties.
      3. When a new employee requires a mobile device, supervisors must complete the Mobile Device Request Form.
   2. Factors to be considered by supervisors in determining whether a position requires a mobile phone provided by the District include:
      1. Employee conducts more than 50% of their work in the field or does not have desk space.
      2. Employee must be reached beyond normal business hours or on weekends on a regular basis.
      3. Employee has job responsibilities that require them to be out of the office during normal work days and requires a phone to be contacted.
      4. For employees not entitled to a District phone, if a personal phone is used for District business, any incremental costs associated with business use will be eligible for reimbursement
   3. Provision of a District Device vs. Use of Personal Devices
      1. For employees in qualifying roles, if employees do not wish to carry a District device in addition to their personal device, a taxable allowance toward use of personal device will be provided.
      2. Taxable allowances generally cannot be retroactive.
      3. Taxable allowances should not exceed the cost of the employee’s monthly mobile bill or the cost to the District in providing a mobile device.
      4. Monthly amounts shall not exceed what is outlined in this administrative procedure.
      5. There will be no District contribution toward replacement of employee personal devices.
      6. Where an employee elects a taxable allowance, reimbursement is intended to cover all incidental business use of the phone. Any additional reimbursement would not be provided except in exceptional circumstances and with the approval of the Director of Finance.
   4. Privacy
      1. All content on mobile devices used for District business are subject to FOIPPA and other privacy regulations. As reasonably necessary to ensure compliance with District Policies and Administrative Procedures, to detect and prevent loss or theft of confidential information and to review allegations of misconduct, the District can demand and compel access to content on mobile devices used for District business. This includes email, texts and photos. 
   5. Devices Provided
      1. The device provided to an employee will be based on District standards as determined at least annually by the Director of Information Technology in consultation with the Director of Finance and school administration. Phone standards will take into account the requirements for employee groups and their specific duties.
      2. The additional cost of the same phone with a larger screen may be covered from their departmental budget.
      3. If the user desires a premium device beyond what is approved by the District, the employee may personally purchase the phone and will be provided with the taxable allowance as listed above.
   6. Ownership of Devices
      1. District provided mobile devices are property of the District and must be returned at the end of employment.
      2. Requests to purchase devices for personal use should be made to the Director of Information Technology. 
   7. Personal Devices Used on The District Network or Accessing District Computing Resources
      1. Personal devices will be subject to the same regulatory and compliance monitoring as District devices. 
   8. Plans
      1. Wireless plans for District mobile devices will be determined by the Director of Information Technology and Director of Finance. Consideration will include the scope of employee duties.
      2. Employees should use Wi-Fi wherever possible to reduce usage of the Plan’s shared data resource.
      3. Reasonable incidental personal use of mobile devices is acceptable so long as the usage does not:
         1. Generate additional charges, or
         2. Harm the reputation of the District.
      4. All incremental charges as a result of personal use will be reimbursed by the employee to the District when the bill is due. This includes picture messaging, data overages, data roaming, long distance charges and other charges not covered within the District plan. 
      5. Charges for international roaming, long-distance phone calls and excess data charges can be significant and may be billed back to employee by Finance.
   9. Employee Personal Travel
      1. Where employees are travelling internationally any incremental, personal phone expenses will be expected to be reimbursed to the District.