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Author Topic: What to do about a Phone Bill? Franklin Armstrong Expert Film Handler Posts: 106 From: Orlando, FL, USA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 01-28-2003 11:48 PM                     What To Do To An Employee If They Gave You A $114.62 Phone Bill?  |  IP: Logged Aldo Baez Master Film Handler Posts: 266 From: USA Registered: Mar 2001 posted 01-29-2003 12:34 AM                    Phone Bill for what?  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 01-29-2003 12:50 AM                     Depends what the phone bill was for. If it was technical help from a tech or something like that relating to the theatre operation, that's one thing. If it was LD call for personal reasons or it was a smutty 900 number, the employee should be given an option. You know what that option is. The employee should also be warned verbally and in writing to never do that again, or else! Have the employee sign that warning and keep it on file.  |  IP: Logged Franklin Armstrong Expert Film Handler Posts: 106 From: Orlando, FL, USA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 01-29-2003 02:34 AM                     Phone bill for the Theater and it's long dis. calls  |  IP: Logged Paul G. Thompson The Weenie Man Posts: 4718 From: Mount Vernon WA USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 01-29-2003 02:44 AM                     It is very easy to find out if the calls were of a personal nature or if they were business related.  |  IP: Logged Nate Lehrke Master Film Handler Posts: 396 From: Denver, CO Registered: Oct 2002 posted 01-29-2003 03:31 AM                     Do you have any written warnings about phone usage in your employee handbook(if you have one)?  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-29-2003 06:15 AM                        If these were for unauthorized personal calls, fire the employee and check with the phone company. In some states, you can get charges for 1-900 and possibly other calls reversed if the calls were placed without the authorization of the person who owns the phone (i.e. you). This will only work once, of course, and is intended for parents with curious children. I don't know if it applies to business lines or not. Also, consider blocking 1-900 and 976- numbers on the theatre phone, unless you have some legitimate need to call them.  |  IP: Logged John Spooner Expert Film Handler Posts: 186 From: South Australia, Australia Registered: Jan 2003 posted 01-29-2003 08:56 AM                     Maybe I am too soft, but initially give the employee an opportunity to pay the cost of the calls back. Then to ensure it does not occur again, have long distance barring installed with a pin no. only known to you and other managers. John Spooner. South Australia.  |  IP: Logged Ken Layton Phenomenal Film Handler Posts: 1452 From: Olympia, Wash. USA Registered: Sep 1999 posted 01-29-2003 09:25 AM                     Sounds like it's time to install a desktop payphone (www.payphone.com) in the employee breakroom. These are designed to stop employees from abuse the phone line (and you can make money, also).  |  IP: Logged Scott Norwood Film God Posts: 8146 From: Boston, MA. USA (1774.21 miles northeast of Dallas) Registered: Jun 99 posted 01-29-2003 09:52 AM                        I'm all in favor of allowing limited personal calls for employees (as long as they are short and don't distract from the business), as this tends to make employees happy and can help them to be more productive. This of course assumes that the employer trusts its employees not to abuse this benefit. The reason why I suggested firing the employee wasn't the cost of the calls, but rather the extent of the abuse. At $.10/minute, a $114.62 bill would mean that this person spent over 19 _hours_ on the phone that month, which is time that the person presumably should have spent doing his job. If the calls were to 900 numbers, the time would be less, but there is little legitimate reason to make calls to these numbers from the workplace. In any case, try to find out why the employee made so many calls. If they were business related and not an obvious waste of phone time, then there's obviously no problem.  |  IP: Logged Franklin Armstrong Expert Film Handler Posts: 106 From: Orlando, FL, USA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 01-29-2003 10:32 AM                     thank you all for your posts  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 01-29-2003 10:53 AM                        Are you saying these charges showed up on the theatre's phone bill? Or the employee placed the calls on his own calling card (or something like that) and then presented his bill to the theatre for reimbursement?  |  IP: Logged Franklin Armstrong Expert Film Handler Posts: 106 From: Orlando, FL, USA Registered: Sep 2002 posted 01-29-2003 01:06 PM                     it is on the theater's phone bill  |  IP: Logged Joe Beres Jedi Master Film Handler Posts: 606 From: Minneapolis, MN, USA Registered: Nov 2000 posted 01-29-2003 03:28 PM                     Franklin, Do you have any written or spoken rules about phone, especially long distance, usage? If you don't, I would suggest that you get one on the books or post it near the phones that employees use. Perhaps I am in the minority here, but if you haven't communicated any rules, I am not sure if the employee is completely (if at all) in the wrong. What kind of calls are we talking about, local long distance, out of state ld, int'l calls, 900 type numbers? If it is one of the first two, and they are an otherwise good employee, I would give them the opportunity, and perhaps some encouragement, to pay half or all of the bill. If it is 900 numbers, but I'm guessing you would have said so if it was something of that nature, then I think further action could be taken.How long was the billing period during which these calls were made? How much time was actually spent on the phone? These are also factors that should be considered.  |  IP: Logged David Stambaugh Film God Posts: 4021 From: Eugene, Oregon Registered: Jan 2002 posted 01-29-2003 04:01 PM                        I like Joe's approach. If you don't have any rules, make some quick and communicate them to the employees. For this specific case, the employee should be asked for justification. Then decide what to do based on how well the justification holds up. Maybe split the difference if appropriate, unless this was a flagrant violation of a clear policy.  |  IP: Logged

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