So I have never owned a cell phone. I don't want one. My boss of 6 months just told me I should get one after this Rita mess. "You're valuable to this company" blah blah blah, "we need to be able to reach you". I told him I would get one if the company paid for it. He got all huffy like he couldn't believe I said that and said I would be evaluated on that. I work on the other side of town. I spend A LOT on gas and tolls as it is. And I don't like cell phones. If I'm so valuable you would think they would pay for it. This just really pisses me off.
That's BS on the part of your boss man... Did he really say "you'll be evaluated on that?" Geez... sounds like an ass.
If he does evaluate you based on that I think you can litigate. You are not obligated to purchase equipment for the company. For the record, I have a cell phone that I pay for. Occasionally I use it for work. If it's anything extensive or expensive, I bill my company for it - so far, no issues.
Tell him you have no need for a cell phone other than for business use and if he wants you to have one then he can buy one for you. Sounds like he's just being unreasonable and has gotten use to people using their personal cell phones for business use which keeps him from having to pick up the cost.
That sounds right. I'm too passive though and my course of action now is just to let this hopefully blow over. I don't like that he is holding this against me however, and I don't think I can change that.
I've never had a cell phone, but this hurricane might have changed my thinking. I don't know what I'd do if I ran out of gas or my car broke down on the highway. I might get a pre-paid cell phone and only use it when I need it...
My project manager bought his own phone (blackberry), but then hands in his bills to be reimbursed every month. Sweet deal IMO. But then again 80+% of his calls are business.
MR. MEOWGI, you want my office cell phone? I'd tell your boss to **** off with that line he gave you..
Update: He is now going to give me $100 a month for gas (plus some other bonus system I don't really see panning out), which I will spend on a cell phone. Yippee. I told him I didn't appreciate not getting a cell being used against me in evaluation. He said he wouldn't do that. I guess he thought it over some... or maybe he is a bbs poster!
Meowgi: After I showed him the printout of this thread, he said he now will reconsider paying for even your CAR if you let him have your password to your nick in this BBS.
So I guess I can turn this into a "What is an ok, cheap as hell cell phone thread". I'm completely clueless about this. I never wanted to be a cell phone guy. I still have a rotary phone at home. I guess it was inetivable. Any ideas?
Get one of those prepaid phones that have like 20 mins on them...emergency use only. Some of the regular companies even have plans like that...pay a little, get a few mins/month
Ya, get one of those prepaid ones. http://www.tracfone.com/home_page.jsp?b=n&flash=YES&p=W This one has a pre-paid phone for $20. The thing you have to check for is when the minutes expire. Do they last 90/120/365 days? Longer the better. Don't give the number to anyone excpet your boss and leave it off.
Prepare to get sucked into the life of the cell phone. First its starts off innocently, next thing you know your boss is calling you weekly on the weekends and off hours.
Im pretty sure 99% of us have to pay for our own gas/toll to get to work. Im not sure why your complaining about it....
