Use of Telephone Policy

Overview/Policy Statement

Personal use of the Company's telephone for long-distance and toll calls is permitted only with the permission of Hartford management. Personal calls must be kept at a minimum, whether made on a company phone or personal cell phone.
 
Managers and employees are responsible for adherence to company policy. Failure to do so may result in disciplinary action up to and including termination.
 

Rationale

  • The Hartford incurs substantial expenses relative to its telephone system, which has been installed and is maintained solely for the purpose of making and receiving telephone calls related to company business.
  • Individuals who spend excessive amounts of time on personal telephone calls cannot effectively fulfill the duties of their jobs and may be disruptive to their colleagues. 

Eligibility/Scope

This policy applies to all employees and contractors of The Hartford and its participating subsidiaries who are based in U.S. locations of The Hartford.
 

Applying the Policy

  • Abuse of this policy will be treated like other performance problems.
  • Although some personal telephone calls are necessary, these should be kept as brief as possible.
  • Recognizing that employees who live outside of the local calling area may have occasional need to place long-distance calls, advance management approval is required. Reimbursement to The Hartford for long-distance calls may be required.
  • Individuals may not use cameras, including those on personal cell phones, to take unauthorized photographs.
  • As business needs dictate, departments and locations may decide to expand this policy as follows around the use of cell phones. Cell phones must be:
    • Turned off in work locations or left on an inaudible setting.
    • Used away from co-workers in non-work related areas such as outside, in lobbies, empty conference rooms, halls and/or stairwells.
    • Used before or after the department's work hours or on breaks, if applicable.