Reasonable request for an assistant, or not?

I've only worked part time positions over the past gulp, twenty years, and I'd say, other than my stint in retail, every other position involved occasional email or phone calls outside of my regular working hours.

My last job (for another company) which was commission based, I'd respond to clients or my boss at all hours. I couldn't even bill for that time!

Now I have my own clients and I try to respond to emails immediately when possible, within 24 hours, or at least after the weekend, if it's not urgent. I don't charge for every email, but if a client emails or texts or calls 100 times a day with various questions, I do bill for that time (in .25 hour increments).

I don't know anyone whose time is fully their own when they are not working.

Do you expect the employee to use the smart phone solely for communication with team members or will there be other tasks requiring smart phone use and if so, what smart phone capabilities will those additional tasks require that would not be available by using a computer and a land line? Are the ten hours per week during set days/hours during the work week or are they more task based? If more task based, how will productivity milestones be defined to determine if the ten hours a week are worked?

Depending on the answers to the above questions, it may necessary to either redefine the job or adjust the expectations to meet the reality.

....never mind

How can a young person, working part time, be expected to shoulder the expense of a smartphone, which costs a few hundred dollars a year? If the applicant is bright, motivated, comes with good credentials, and asserts that he or she can do the job without a smart phone, what difference does it make what tools are used to accomplish the objectives? I'm sure the applicant's plan is respond to emails within the timeframe the employer requires.

Okay, everyone, thanks for your input.

Not a good fit.... Next. Edited to day Unless you are in a tight bind

tomdevon said:
Anytime/anywhere email and phone access is a necessity in the 2015 business world. Especially for someone who wants to work virtually. If he/she was otherwise nailed to a desk all day constantly monitoring email and responding to calls, that might be acceptable, but it does not sound like that is the case. Your expectations are totally reasonable and you should choose a different candidate.

This.

Elle_Cee said:
How can a young person, working part time, be expected to shoulder the expense of a smartphone, which costs a few hundred dollars a year? If the applicant is bright, motivated, comes with good credentials, and asserts that he or she can do the job without a smart phone, what difference does it make what tools are used to accomplish the objectives? I'm sure the applicant's plan is respond to emails within the timeframe the employer requires.

For better or worse, many people (young or otherwise), who don't seem to have a lot of means, DO have smartphones.

But I think that the OP was also reacting to their slow turnaround on email exchanges they have already had. I suspect that if the person demonstrated more responsiveness in other ways, or offered an alternative contact method it might not be a deal-breaker. But only checking email once a day just isn't enough in most jobs when you work remotely from your employer on a flexible schedule.

bobk said:
Call me old and old fashioned, but a part time job shouldn't involve availability on an on call basis.

Disagree. When we ran a small business, everyone had a smartphone. Was it required? No but it made life easier for all. If there was a schedule change or if someone wanted to swap times/days with another employee, we texted. If someone was running late, they texted. If I was working from home and new orders came in, product pictures were sent to me via text. 90% of the time we could respond to each other in real time. It made life easier.

No one under a certain age either living at home with parents or on their own have "home" phones anymore. The only way to stay in touch with many these days, and I count myself in this group, is via text or cell phone call.