Does my employer have to reimburse me for cell phone?
Ava Robinson
Published Apr 25, 2026
The Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) does not require employers to reimburse employees for cell phone use, but California law does require cell phone reimbursement per the California Labor Code Section 2802.
Can my company pay for my cell phone?
3. Employers must always reimburse employee for expense of cell phone use even though the employee did not pay additional cell phone fees for using their cell phone for work purposes. The court explained that any time a cell phone is required for work, the employer must reimburse the employee.
Can my company track my personal phone?
If you use a personal electronic device, such as your own smartphone, laptop or tablet, to check or to send emails, employers are not allowed to monitor what you send or receive.
Federal law generally does not require employers to reimburse employees for cell phone expenses. Some states have laws that require employers to reimburse employees for the costs of necessary job expenses.
Can an employer make you use your personal cell phone for work?
Generally, an employer can require you to use personal property (like your vehicle, or cell phone) as long as you are properly reimbursed for additional costs incurred when used for work. However, there’s no such thing with cell phone use.
Can I refuse to use my personal cell phone for work?
In sum, employers must reimburse California employees (without distinction) for cell phone use when employees are required to use their personal cell phones for business purposes. Reimbursement is required even if the employee does not actually incur extra expenses as a result of his or her use.
How to reimburse your employees for cell phones?
Below are some options you have for offering your employees a cell phone reimbursement stipend: Give employees a specific amount every month, reimburse through an expense software such as Concur. Give employees a ‘Cell Phone Perk Stipend,’ reimbursed through an IRS-friendly perk software (like Compt ).
How does accountable plan work for cell phone reimbursement?
An Accountable plan lets you reimburse employees by following IRS regulations on business expenses. According to the IRS regulations: The employee must show that the cell phone and the accompanying service plan was used for a business purpose. The employee must produce an expense report, along with the receipts.
Can a cope phone be reimbursed for personal use?
Personal use of COPE phones come under de minimis fringe benefit. Ensure that your policy follows the guidelines set in the accountable plan. Expense reimbursement: In a typical reimbursement policy, employees purchase a cell phone (from a list of company-approved devices) along with the service plan.
How to address the cell phone reimbursement challenges?
How address the cell phone reimbursement challenges? 1 Pay the employees’ entire cell phone bill. While this is an unpopular solution for many employers, for some, it’s more about peace of mind. 2 Require employees to prove cell phone use. 3 Pay employees a fixed amount. 4 Create cell phone expense accounts. …