Accounting Services Section (ACT)
POLICY 27
Effective Date: 07/01/1996
Last Modified Date: 12/04/2001
Local Personal Calls
Use of State telephones for local personal calls should be kept to a minimum in number and duration.
Long Distance
Employees are not allowed to charge personal long-distance phone calls to the State, except as noted below. The only long-distance calls that will be paid by the State are those made in the course of conducting official State business.
Allowable Personal Calls
An employee who is in travel status for two or more consecutive days in a week is allowed one personal long-distance telephone call for each two days. Reimbursement to the employee for these calls may not exceed $3 for each in-state call or $5 for each out-of-state call. See Travel Policy 11 for an example.
Emergency Calls
Employees may use the State network system or State credit card, or may be reimbursed, for a personal long distance call if such call is of an emergency nature as determined by the department. An example may be a call made when an employee calls home to inform someone that the travel period has been extended beyond original plans due to unforeseen reasons.
Cellular Telephones
Because cellular telephone charges are based on measured use, no personal calls should be made on cellular telephones except in case of emergency as determined by the department. Cellular telephones should be used only when more economical means of telephoning are not reasonably available.
Secondary Employment
No telephone calls related to secondary employment, except for schedule changes, are to be made during work hours.
Reimbursement
Official phone calls are reimbursable under "Other Expenses." Individual calls over $3.00 must be identified as to point of origin and destination.
Emergency Situations
Should emergency circumstances arise that necessitate a State employee's making a personal long distance or cellular phone call not covered in the above, the employee should immediately notify his or her supervisor and make arrangements to reimburse the State.
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