MEMORANDUM

TO:                   Deans, Directors, and Departmental Executive Officers

FROM:              Terry Johnson, Controller

Debby Zumbach, Director of Purchasing

RE:                   New Technology Allowance Policy

Date:                November 1, 2007

Policy highlights:

·        The University will no longer reimburse employees for on-going business expenses related to communication devices (cell phones or Personal Digital Assistants with cellular capability (PDAs), such as Blackberry or Treo) or remote internet service, except for circumstances noted under "Special Situations".

·        At the departments discretion, University employees who meet the eligibility requirements will be given a predetermined amount of supplemental compensation to cover the approximate monthly cost a cell phone or cellular PDA and/or remote internet services.

·        This policy applies only to Professional, Scientific and Faculty employees not covered by a specific collective bargaining contract.

Policy Exceptions: (see section d)

·        Departmentally Owned Contracts with Pooled Minute Plans or employees covered by a bargaining contract.

·        Pagers

Department Procedure: Please coordinate with your HR representative. 

a) Please work with your HR representative to initiate this process.  Request for Technology Allowance form (paper form) must be filled out for each eligible employee

(This eform is located at www.uiowa.edu/~eforms/ap/Request_for_Technology_Allowance.pdf and also at AP web pages www.uiowa.edu/~fusap/ap/Documents/Request_for_Technology_Allowance.pdf.)

• The actual cost of the employee’s individual plan must be documented with a copy of the bill.
• Cell phone and Internet access request may be on the same form for each employee.

b) HR Special Compensation Payment form  (SpCom-Reimb.Comm.Device and SpCom-Remote.Inet  must be completed for each individual for a 12 month period to be paid monthly.  The HR Special Compensation Payment form is available in the HR transaction system on line through self service.  On the payment form, enter this key information:

1. The effective date and end dates should be the month you want to start the first payment and last month you want the individual to receive payment.
2. Payment Schedule - create 12 payment dates for the first of every month. 

c) Scan and attach the approved Request for Technology Allowance form and a copy of the monthly service bill to the HR Special Compensation Payment form and route for workflow approvals

Departments will be contacted directly to close blanket orders related to the purchase of such services.  Such expenses will also be disallowed on the procurement card.

Please share this memo with appropriate departmental staff.  Questions related to this new policy may be directed to Debby Zumbach 335-3815.