Assistant obliged to top up phone?

[jadavi]

Just had an applicant assistant withdraw her application after two days try out because she refuses to put money on her phone.
.... Well I pushed it as I said it was for health and safety as she'd be doing park and school runs alone and had to have top up on her phone as part of the job requirement . Was amazed when she refused!! Was this an unreasonable request of mine? (I was paying her min rate for the try out period) she said she didn't have the money for it and had too many expenses.,,.gob snacked!!

[pinky33]

I probably would have expected you to pay if you felt it was a requirement or supply a phone.

[jadavi]

Does anyone else pay top up for their assistants phone?
Staff phone wouldn't work as I need to contact get during week offering different hours etc as it changes weekly. She wouldn't have my staff phone on her switched on and powered up all week would she!
Advice anyone?

[catminder]

I would think it fair if you re-embersed your assistant for any costs on her phone, then this amount would be classed as your expenses for tax purposes? I can see your assistants point of view if she doesn't have much money at the moment.

X Alison

[carol cameron]

Sorry but I really think I would have reacted the same way as your potential assistant. If you are asking for her to have something as part of her working role then you should be contributing towards it. That would have been a deal breaker for me too.:blush:

[Rick]

Does she not use her phone regularly then. I used to have a top up phone as I didn't use it much. I always had money on it though as you never know when you might need it. It's for her benefit as well. If she has an emergency on an outing she will need to call someone.

I guess in this day and age you just expect everyone to regularly use a mobile!

[QualityCare]

You could buy a staff phone which you keep topped up and is kept at yours for use while assistant is with you, as regards contacting her at home then it is a requirement of her job that she is contactable at home by phone or e-mail to be given shifts/hours, she will also need a phone to let you know if she is unwell/late etc.

[silvermist]

I think I would have a staff phone which could be used when she is working with you, which you need to keep topped up but I would expect her to be contactable by phone or email incase I needed her for anything at any other time iyswim. x

[wendywu]

You could buy a staff phone which you keep topped up and is kept at yours for use while assistant is with you, as regards contacting her at home then it is a requirement of her job that she is contactable at home by phone or e-mail to be given shifts/hours, she will also need a phone to let you know if she is unwell/late etc.

You could always use her land line for home contact, thats if she has one :)

[Mouse]

I would keep a cheap mobile for assistants to use if they are out & about. Keep it topped up & she'll take it with her when she goes out on the school run.

Now that you have to have a mobile phone poilcy, it's probably better anyway. You can be sure that it's only your phone being used, she's not making personal calls during working hours, no photos are being taken etc.

As for having to contact her with hours, she doesn't need credit for that. You can phone her & she doesn't need to have any credit on her phone. I can understand she needs to be contactable, but that doesn't mean she has to have credit on her phone.

How did you get on with her apart from that? If everything else was good it might be worth coming to an agreement over the phone.

[zippy]

I would maybe have topped up ten pounds and then told her it was a requirement to not let her balance go below ten pounds unless it had been used in course of business or I'd supply phone