County_Administrative_Directive_06-020.pdf

SARASOTA COUNTY GOVERNMENT

ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTIVE No.: 06-020

Subject:

Sarasota County Cellular Telephone Policy Effective Date:

December 23, 2019

Originally Issued Date:

June 4, 2012

Previous Revision Date:

July 16, 2015

County Administrator Approval:

Date Approved:

December 23, 2019

AUTHORITY:

Section 5 of the Sarasota County Administrative Code.

PURPOSE:

This Administrative Directive is established to create guidelines for cellular telephone use and authorization process to document the usage of County and stipend cellular devices. Administrative Directives are applicable to all County departments and personnel, and their provisions are considered directives for all County employees.

OBJECTIVES:

To provide standard operating procedures for county provided or personal cellular devices used for business. Cell phones and other wireless communication devices are commonly used in the workplace and are often necessary for County employees to accomplish the responsibilities of their positions effectively and efficiently. The County provides cell phones for teams that provide a need for shared on-call, seasonal and group specific shared devices or a stipend for individuals that require a cell phone to conduct County business.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. The County Administrator is the approving official for all Administrative Directives.

2. All County employees are responsible for understanding and complying with all Administrative

Directives that apply to their positions.

3. Director must ensure that a position that requires a cell phone is identified in the position description.

4. Specific responsibilities are listed throughout the Procedures Section.

PROCEDURES:

1. Cell Phone Authorization Criteria - Department Directors will authorize the issuance of a cell phone, Smart Phone or stipend for County business and document the requirement for the issuance or stipend in the position description. The following guidelines should be used in determining the employee’s eligibility:

a. Non-exempt employees who are eligible to receive overtime pay will not be eligible for a cell phone/Smartphone stipend unless eligibility is expressly stated in his/her position description based upon on-call responsibilities or approved work outside of the office that requires access to responding to calls and/or emails in a timely manner.

b. Employees based primarily at a stationary location (as compared to field-based employees) are not eligible for a stipend or County device unless they spend a significant amount of time away from their desk and it is necessary for them to respond immediately to emails or calls.

c. Employees who have business applications utilizing Smart Phone technology.

d. Field employees who are provided with a County issued mobile device with cellular data connectivity are not eligible for a Smart Phone stipend.(i.e. tablet, aircard, iPad) unless the secondary device is necessary for specific applications or safety purposes.

2. Summary of Cell Phone Options –Departments have the following options regarding the business use of cell phones and other wireless communication devices. Each department will designate its option(s) annually for Budget preparation. The selection will remain in effect unless there would be a change in position, termination, or transfer, for the entire subsequent fiscal year. All devices not authenticated will be terminated. Directors must review and sign off on each device annually.

a. Option 1 – County Provided Cell Phones - Provide shared on-call, seasonal and group specific cellular devices to employees that have a demonstrated and documented need for such equipment and service, as determined by the Department Director.

b. Option 2 - Stipend for Personal Cell Phone – Provide each employee that requires a cell phone for business purposes with a taxable stipend for the monthly service charges on his/her personal cell phone. The stipend is treated as taxable income to employee, but will not be considered part of the employees’ base salary or be used in the calculation of retirement benefits. All requirements must be noted in the employees’ position description and reviewed yearly.

Net $30 – Personal cell phone Net $65 – Personal smart phone. The employee’s personal device must support Active Sync in order to access the County’s email, calendar, and address book.

3. Option 1 – County Provided Cell Phones

a. Personal Usage – Personal use of County provided cellular devices are STRICTLY PROHIBITED except for a personal emergency. If a personal call is received or made, the employee must inform their supervisor as soon as practicable as to the reason of the call and the phone number.

b. Texting - Texting use of County provided cellular devices are STRICTLY PROHIBITED except for a personal emergency. If you receive a text from a County employee, you must inform their supervisor as soon as practicable as to the reason of the text. In some cases, inbound texting is required for certain notifications and will be tracked by the sender accordingly. Outbound texting is STRICTLY PROHIBITED.

c. Ordering Accessories and Replacement Cell Phone Devices - Fill out the ”Purchasing Card EIT Approval Form" (Click Here) to purchase items through your department. The form lists items employees can buy without EIT permission, items that only EIT can purchase and items that departments can order after EIT signs off approval. The form must be signed prior to purchase and attached to the Pcard receipt.

4. Option 2 – Stipend for Personal Cell Phone – Recipients of a County stipend have the following responsibilities:

a. Negotiate and manage a personal cell phone/Smartphone contract or acquire a prepaid cell phone/Smartphone. Each employee is free to select the service provider, plan, and features of his/her choice that meet the job responsibilities as determined by the employee’s Manager/Director.

https://sarasotacounty.sharepoint.com/EIT/SiteAssets/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2FEIT%2FSiteAssets%2FSitePages%2FHome%2FPCard%5FEIT%2DApproval%2DForm%2Epdf&parent=%2FEIT%2FSiteAssets%2FSitePages%2FHome https://sarasotacounty.sharepoint.com/EIT/SiteAssets/Forms/AllItems.aspx?id=%2FEIT%2FSiteAssets%2FSitePages%2FHome%2FPCard%5FEIT%2DApproval%2DForm%2Epdf&parent=%2FEIT%2FSiteAssets%2FSitePages%2FHome

b. The employee is required to obtain a 941 area code, which can be accomplished by the cellular carrier or signing up for a call attendant service (i.e. Google Voice, Grasshopper, Ringcentral, Phonebooth, etc.).

c. Establish self as the billing party and assume all charges associated with the cellular service and device including lost, damaged, or stolen equipment and accessories.

d. Ensure the carrier selected has service in required usage areas, such as at the workplace and/or at home as required by the department.

e. Maintain an active service contract for the duration of the stipend.

f. Provide personal cell phone/Smartphone number to the Human Resources Department as well as the employee’s department for listing on all applicable departmental and County directories. Employee is responsible for updating their phone number in WorkDay, View Profile. Employees with business cards are required to list their updated business cell phone/Smartphone number.

g. Obtain technical support from your service provider as needed.

h. Notify your supervisor and/or department director immediately if service is cancelled, the phone number changes, or if there are other significant changes which may impact your ability to perform the duties for which a stipend is being paid.

5. Public Records – The Attorney General’s office has declared that personal cell phone records that contain numbers called for County business are public records. Therefore, pursuant to the General Records Schedule for GS1-SL for State and Local Government Agencies, an employee receiving a stipend will be required to retain cell phone records for one year. In the event a public records request is made, all personal phone numbers may be redacted.

Conducting County business via text messaging (except Emergency Services Alerts), PIN messaging, or Instant Messaging (IMs) on a cell phone is STRICTLY PROHIBITED, as it does not comply with State retention requirements.

6. International Calling - This is only supported for County employees who are traveling outside of the U.S. on County business and must be preapproved by the County Administrator, and County cellular devices must be upgraded to international calling prior to the trip.

7. Exceptions – Air Cards and Mobile Devices other than cell phones are not covered under this

Policy. The County Administrator reserves the right to make special exceptions to this policy on a case-by-case basis.