Telephone Use

WHAT

TVA allows employees to make authorized local and long distance calls while at work and while traveling on company business. This practice establishes the types of calls employees are authorized to make from TVA phones or during the course of business travel.

TVA provides each location with the telecommunications equipment necessary for conducting its business, and employees should ensure that any personal phone use does not interfere with their organization's ability to conduct company business.

Some TVA telephone systems automatically collect such information as the called number, the calling number, the time of day, and the duration of long distance calls. Call detail devices do not monitor conversation. Listings of individual calls may be provided to:

The manager of the accountable organization.
An authorized representative of the Inspector General.
An authorized representative of the General Counsel.
Others when required by law or at TVA's discretion as authorized by the Privacy Act.

WHO

This practice is applicable to all TVA employees and to contractors performing work on TVA premises and/or authorized to charge calls to TVA from a non-TVA telephone.

WHY

Adequate telecommunications equipment and good records of business phone use are essential to TVA's business operations and for control of TVA costs.

Employees must be able to remain in touch with family members during the work day and during business travel.

HOW

Authorized Business Use

Long-Distance Calls

TVA-provided long-distance services are to be used only to conduct official TVA business, including those calls which are of reasonable frequency and duration when the employee:

Calls home to "check in" while traveling on TVA business.
Calls home within the local commuting area (i.e., where the employee begins and ends the normal work day).

The cost of these authorized calls will be paid by TVA. However, employees should be particularly sensitive to the use of TVA facilities and the associated costs to TVA for these calls. Willful abuse may result in disciplinary action(s) described under Personal Use in this practice.

Cellular Phones

Full-time TVA employees whose jobs require the use of a cellular phone to conduct TVA business may request TVA-provided cellular service. TVA-provided cellular service may be used to place and receive personal calls if the employee reimburses TVA in accordance with the Cellular Phone Reimbursement Policy. Employees are also eligible to receive reimbursement for official business calls placed on personal cellular equipment in accordance with the Cellular Phone Reimbursement Policy.

Long Distance Calling Cards

TVA provides telephone credit cards for business use by employees who travel, including use for those calls as described under Long Distance Calls. Requests for these cards are made through the employee's organization (refer to Business Practice 3, Credit Cards).

Operator Services

Chattanooga, Knoxville, Muscle Shoals, Browns Ferry Nuclear, Sequoyah Nuclear, and Watts Bar Nuclear switchboards are attended 24 hours. Local public telephone directories list the number in each city. Business calls (including those authorized when traveling) from non-TVA phones in these locations should be placed through the local TVA switchboard to avoid long-distance charges.

Collect Calls

Employees may accept collect calls only when required for conducting TVA's business.

Hotel/Motel Calls

Employees traveling on TVA business should use the TVA switchboard when in locations listed under Operator Services, or should use a TVA telephone credit card when not in these locations. Calls may be charged to hotel room accounts if neither of these two options are available.

Personal Use

Personal use of TVA telephones is limited to calls of reasonable duration and frequency which do not adversely affect the employee's performance of official duties. Long-distance personal calls which are made from TVA telephones must be:

Charged to a personal telephone or major credit card.
Charged to the caller's home telephone or other non-TVA telephone account ("third-party billing").
Charged to the called party ("collect call").
Made to a toll-free (800-type) number.

Personal Long-Distance Calls

Personal long-distance calls using TVA-provided facilities with costs charged to TVA are prohibited, and willful violation may result in criminal, civil, or administrative action including suspension or dismissal. Reimbursing TVA for unauthorized calls does not exempt an employee or contractor from appropriate administrative, civil, or criminal action. TVA shall be reimbursed for unauthorized calls as follows:

Commercial Toll Calls

Provide the residential or business telephone number to TVA for rebilling by the appropriate telephone company (with offsetting credit to the TVA account).

Other Long-Distance Calls (Including FTS2000)

Submit a valid personal or corporate check made payable to TVA Cash Management for an amount calculated in accordance with Chief Financial Officer instructions.

TVA may agree to collect payment through payroll deduction if requested by the employee. It may also elect to collect payment through payroll and/or Retirement System deduction if the obligation is not otherwise satisfied by the employee or through Accounts Payable deduction if the obligation is not otherwise satisfied by a contractor.

ROLES

TVA Employees and Contract Employees

Ensure that local personal calls are of reasonable duration and frequency.
Charge personal long-distance calls to a non-TVA account.
Exercise good judgment and remain sensitive to the cost of all long-distance calls charged to TVA.
Reimburse TVA for the actual cost of personal calls made or received using a TVA-issued cellular phone.

Telecommunications Division

Provide the telephone services required to enable employees to conduct TVA business effectively.
Administer programs to keep organizations informed regarding the telephone services used.
Administer call detail information systems, including compliance with applicable provisions of the Privacy Act.

Procurement

Provide the cellular services and equipment required to enable employees to conduct TVA business effectively.
Administer programs to keep organizations informed regarding cellular services used.
Administer cellular call detail information systems, including compliance with applicable provisions of the Privacy Act.

Organizations

Identify those who are eligible to receive various types of services.
Ensure that their use of telecommunications service is commensurate with the business operations carried out.

RESOURCES

Information Services - Telecommunications
Procurement

Last Revised 5/2000