Best Practices

➤ Departmental policies and procedures for the activity should be formally documented. This should include authorized activity, workflow, responsibilities, documentation requirements and step-by-step instructions for processing activity.

➤ Documented policies and procedures helps ensure departmental personnel understand expectations and requirements, and promote accountability and consistency in activities.

➤ All employees should make reimbursements for any personal usage that results in additional charges. This includes monthly service, text message, and data plans.

➤ Charges (e.g., monthly service, text message, data plan, collect calls, third party calls) on the monthly bills should be accounted for. Each occurrence of an additional charge should be accounted for by having the individual note the reason as business or personal, and signing the bill. The bill, along with applicable reimbursement for personal charges, should be returned timely.

➤ The procedures should include measures to ensure all monthly bills distributed are returned timely.

➤ Employees that routinely make calls that result in additional charges should consider using a log or form. This helps document the purpose of incurring the additional charge, and should be completed at the time the call is made.

➤ The documentation for the personal charges, along with reimbursement documentation, should be filed with the monthly billings.

➤ The feasibility of “blocking” all services that incur additional charges should be explored. Personnel who need these services as part of their job responsibilities can be given an access card with the stipulation that it is only for business purposes. This will not totally eliminate the need for the monthly reviews of the bills, but it will make the process less cumbersome and more efficient.

➤ An inventory listing of telephones and other communication devices should be maintained. The listing should include make, model, serial number, and person the equipment is assigned to. Periodically, this inventory listing should be verified by physical inspection of the equipment.

➤ All users should be aware of the necessity for complying with Kentucky State University policies regarding telephones and other communication devices.

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