Policy on Cell Phones P2023-01

Bathurst, New Brunswick · adopted 2023-04-17

This is the exact embedded text of the captured official document. Snapshot e36f86e1e64f · verified 2026-06-07 · original document · archived snapshot · unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.

CELL PHONE POLICY Policy Number P2023-01 Classification ADM Effective Date 2023-04-17 Approval Authority CAO Supersedes 2009-02 Mandated Review 2028 1. PURPOSE The purpose of this policy is to govern the acquisition, usage, and management of wireless cellular phones for the City of Bathurst business use by the organization's employees. In addition, this policy outlines appropriate standards, guidelines, and procedures for appropriate use, reimbursement policies, and other issues. It is also the purpose of this policy to protect corporate resources, protect employee safety, manage communications costs, and help minimize corporate liability. 2. SCOPE This policy governs all City of Bathurst employees who use company or personally owned cell phones for the purpose of conducting City of Bathurst business and operations. The City of Bathurst reserves the right to revoke cell phone privileges at any time should it deem necessary to do so. The City of Bathurst Information Technology (IT) department has sole discretion over the distribution, configuration, and security measures of cellular phones and related technology. If any non-approved devices, installation, or usage of such technology is discovered, the IT department reserves the right to remove and/or deactivate them immediately. 3. POLICY STATEMENT Possession and use of a company-owned and supported cell phone is a privilege, not a right. Any employee requiring the use of a cell phone must receive prior approval from his or her manager via an approved business case, application, or other channels stating why the employee needs such technology to fulfill his or her job duties. Eligible employees may use personally owned cell phones. 1. APPROPRIATE USE a) Cell phones and service packages used to conduct City of Bathurst business must be used responsibly, ethically, and cost effectively. Therefore, the following policy statements must be adhered to at all times: i. Some employees may need to use personally owned cell phones to conduct City of Bathurst business. In such cases, the City of Bathurst will provide a cell phone requirement allowance of $60 per month for employees who must use his/her personal cell phone for work purposes, subject to the following conditions: (a) A manager must first authorize the employee to use his/her personal cell phone for conducting City of Bathurst business. An authorization letter must be signed by the employee's supervisor and submitted to the Accounts Payable clerk. (b) The City of Bathurst will pay an allowance equal to $60 per month. The cell phone requirement allowance will be paid through Accounts Payable and is considered a taxable benefit. ii. No employee shall: (a) Play games on the cell phone during working hours. (b) Use their phones for any reason while driving a company vehicle. (c) Use their cell phone's camera or microphone to record confidential information without authorization. (d) Use their phones in areas where cell use is explicitly prohibited. (e) Download or upload inappropriate, illegal or obscene material. (f) Conduct illegal transactions, harassment, or any other unacceptable behaviour, as defined in the City of Bathurst policies. (g) Install any applications that could harm or compromise the security of City data. As may be communicated from time to time by the IT Department or the immediate supervisor. iii. It is understood by all employees either : A) having a corporate owned device or B) having a personal device with City of Bathurst data present on the device (such as e-mails) that the City of Bathurst IT Department reserves the right to remotely wipe any application or data from the device if it is lost, stolen, or otherwise unavailable for the data to be removed if the employee is no longer employed by the City of Bathurst for any reason. iv. Whenever a company-owned cell phone is damaged, lost, or stolen, such incidents must be reported immediately to the employee's supervisor, the IT Department, and the Accounts Payable clerk. v. Prior to termination of employment or job duties requiring cell phone use, each cell phone user must: (a) Surrender his or her company-owned cell phone to his or her manager, the IT department, or the Accounts Payable clerk. (b) If the user does not return their company-owned cell phone, he or she will be required to reimburse the City of Bathurst the price of the cell phone. (c) Should the employee wish to keep his corporate-provided cell phone upon departure, the employee may choose to pay out the remaining contract amount for the device. If no amount is owing on the contract the employee may keep the device. This is done on an as-is basis with no device warranty expressed or implied. 4. RELATED DOCUMENTS - Policy Receipt Acknowledgement - Cell Phone Policy 5. REVISION HISTORY Date (mm/dd/yyyy) Description of Change Sections Person who Entered Revision (Position Title) Person who Authorized Revision (Position Title) Policy Receipt Acknowledgement Cell Phone Policy Accusé de réception d'une politique Politique sur les téléphones cellulaires I have read and been informed about the content, requirements, and expectations of the cell phone policy for employees at the City of Bathurst. I have received a copy of the policy and agree to abide by the policy guidelines as a condition of receiving a cell phone from the City of Bathurst. J'ai pris connaissance du contenu, des exigences et des attentes de la politique sur les téléphones cellulaires pour les employés de la Ville de Bathurst. J'ai reçu une copie de la politique et j'accepte de m'y conformer à titre de condition pour recevoir un téléphone cellulaire de la Ville de Bathurst. I understand that if I have questions, at any time, regarding the cell phone policy, I will consult with the Information Technology Department. Je comprends que si j'ai des questions, à n'importe quel moment, au sujet de la politique sur les téléphones cellulaires, je consulterai le Service des technologies de l'information. Please read the cell phone policy carefully to ensure that you understand the policy before signing this document. Veuillez lire attentivement la politique sur les téléphones cellulaires pour vous assurer de la comprendre avant de signer ce document. Employee signature / Signature de l'employé Employee printed name / Nom de l'employé en lettres moulées Manager signature / Signature du gestionnaire Date