similar to the old fashion beeper, that some used to carry around.

this thing would buzz or vibrate or both, but instead of showing the wearer a phone number to call, the
caller could send a text message ( and number if needed)

it would be a one way deal , only .
only delivering a text , the wearer would need to use their phone or find a phone, if a response was required.

Taylor sends delivery drivers out around four counties, two or three times a day , he needs to send messages to the drivers, but does not want to buy them phones,and almost never needs answers or responses.

How many people don't already have a phone nowadays?

four of his drivers do not want to use their phones for his business w/o compensation.

and three others don't always bring their phones to work

Virtually all beepers have alphanumeric messaging these days, and have for quite some time.

Pagers still exist and are available. For the cost, it will likely be cheaper to just get them another phone and emphasis it is business only, text only. May even be able to configure that with carrier.

Obviously the cheapest, shittiest flip phone available will work for this, not an iPhoneX.

quote:

or find a phone, if a response was required.

eta - this is retarded and a waste of time he'd rather have them moving. Get them a business only phone and be done with it.

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
four of his drivers do not want to use their phones for his business w/o compensation.

and three others don't always bring their phones to work

His employees seem like A-holes or morons. Are they still paying for text messages? Or do they just have attitude problems?

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
four of his drivers do not want to use their phones for his business w/o compensation.

and three others don't always bring their phones to work

His employees seem like A-holes or morons. Are they still paying for text messages? Or do they just have attitude problems?

Why should they have to use their personal phones for work purposes?

It sounds like the owner is too cheap to get these guys some basic work phones, they aren't all that much.

Who the hell drives for a living and doesnt carry a phone? “Trucks broken...ah well guess I better just leave it hear and thumb my way home.” A phone is a vital part of life and work these days...I would question their sanity and their overall worth as an employee if they didn’t come prepared to work with a phone. If they drive for a living and aren’t using phone based traffic updates on their navigation then they are probably costing you money. It would be easier to simply make them bring their phones to work and pay them $10-15 a month for its limited use then paying $30 a month or more for a pager. But yes the owner seems like a cheapskate.

My company used to give a $25.00 expense check for home internet and another $25.00 for cell phones, then they issues work cell phones and air cards and did away with the expense checks.

My wife's work required her to contact customers using her personal cell, and refused compensation for it. I set up a Google number for her to use after one of her customers called her cell at 10 o'clock at night.

quote:

Originally posted by PASig:

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:

quote:

Originally posted by bendable:
four of his drivers do not want to use their phones for his business w/o compensation.

and three others don't always bring their phones to work

His employees seem like A-holes or morons. Are they still paying for text messages? Or do they just have attitude problems?

Why should they have to use their personal phones for work purposes?

It sounds like the owner is too cheap to get these guys some basic work phones, they aren't all that much.

If the employee isn't incurring any additional cost as a result of being contacted by their employer on their personal cell phone, and they already have a cell phone, I see no reason for an employer to pay anything. What costs would the employees be reimbursed for?

quote:

Originally posted by arfmel:

If the employee isn't incurring any additional cost as a result of being contacted by their employer on their personal cell phone, and they already have a cell phone, I see no reason for an employer to pay anything. What costs would the employees be reimbursed for?

The employer is getting a break here by having people use personal phones for business purposes. They should be giving some sort of stipend for this; $10-$20 a month is not unreasonable.

I have a friend who works from his home whose employer does not issue work phones but pays for the the employee's personal phone plans up to a certain dollar amount as they must use their own phones to conduct company business.

I guess we'll agree to disagree, then. If I can "give my employer a break" and it costs me nothing, I do it. When my employer prospers, I prosper.

i have a work phone and it sucks i just forward the number to my lgv20

I think this explains the situation with the employees and a possible solution.

PASig and I work for the same company. I don't have a work cell phone, and frankly I don't want to carry 2 phones. I am on-call for 1 week every 8. When on-call I get calls in the middle of the night and I am expected to answer the calls, then go onto my computer and fix the issue (IT related). I also don't get re-reimbursed for these calls. Not a big deal. Talk time and text messaging are pretty universal at this point.

I also work from home full time and I don't get re-reimbursed for internet, home office, etc... I think it's pretty much expected at this point in time.

If his employees don't want to use their personal phones for an occasional text, find someone who is willing. They are not incurring any additional costs.

If they are old phones, and they can prove they don't have text messaging included in their plan, he can re-reimburse them for the $.10 per text it costs...After tax of course.

I think they are being petty.

A professional delivery driver that shows up to work without a cell phone is like a carpenter showing up without a hammer. Or a cop showing up without a gun. Frankly, I would counsel such an employee once, and fire them after that. I would consider having a functioning, activated cell phone on their person a condition of employment.

If the boss wants to give them a $20/month stipend, then that should cover any complaints.

I think he should give his employees $20 a month to use their personal cell phones.

It saves the employer from having to provide a gadget, and it gives the employee a payment when the marginal cost to the employee is close to zero.

That is fair to both sides. If a potential employee balks, don't hire him.

We had alphanumeric pagers 25 years ago, but it cost more than most people's smart phone bills today. (because you had to have someone there answering the phone, talking to the customers, then sending the message.)


Can't say I blame them, I won't give anyone at work my personal cell number either.

quote:

Originally posted by cas:
We had alphanumeric pagers 25 years ago, but it cost more than most people's smart phone bills today. (because you had to have someone there answering the phone, talking to the customers, then sending the message.)


Can't say I blame them, I won't give anyone at work my personal cell number either.

We had alphanumeric pagers back in the day too. It was how I found out the first WTC tower was hit, messaged from our office in a group text.
But we also had cb radios in out trucks if we had to respond to something.

For cheap communication, I have a tracfone that amounts to about $7/mo. ($21 for each 3 months purchased. Even cheaper if you go bigger than that. It has texting.

If the employer gives $$ for the use of the personal phone if could potentially become a taxable benefit. To avoid this, the employee might have to produce the phone bill invoice page (not the detailed call list) to turn it into an expense and avoid taxes. Is the juice Wirth the squeeze?