California Appeals Court Requires Reimbursement for Employee Personal Cell Phones Used for Work-Related Calls

In Cochran v. Schwan’s Home Service, Inc., a California Court of Appeal held that California Labor Code section 2802 requires that employers reimburse employees who use their personal cell phones for work-related calls. The court found that “[w]hether the employees have cell phone plans with unlimited minutes or limited minutes, the reimbursement owed is a reasonable percentage of their cell phone bills.” California employers should review their cell phone policies in light of Cochran.