Employer provision if you are working from home

[Pensylvan]

So, like a lot of people I'm guessing - fast tracked working from home. Using my own PC and broadband and home phone line because my mobile does not work in my house.

I do a lot of spreadsheets so am missing big screen *2, proper keyboard and mouse. Plus lack of printer and rather uncomfortable desk. Plus having to make work calls on home phone line.

My employer has nor been forthcoming about funding the cost of these missing items. Despite mentioning the amount we might be saving on commuting costs :(

How is it for you?

I just pinched my large monitor and use that and my normal home screen (large) to wfh - means I can have lots open at the same time so it's actually better than not wfh as I can be more productive as I'm not switching views so often.
Still have to go in a couple of times a week (we rotate), as some stuff cannot be done from home, and all our despatch department are on shifts starting 5 am for half, and the other half finishing late, but they're all on overtime and working weekends - we are mega mega busy

I'm public sector but contracted out so our facilities H&S etc are managed by the private company who took over our work/contracts, I think we're better off than our colleagues fully managed in the public sector

I work in an office in education and I have been told I cannot have my two screens, keyboard, dock, chair etc. I have the laptop.

I was told this would pose a health and safety risk for IT in case anything 'blows up'

I offered to go in and collect from an empty office.

Reading this, I feel really hard done by!

I struggle with my eyesight on a laptop and could really do with those big screens.

I'm going to have to raise it with a higher boss aren't I?

I suspect they are planning on us coming back in September, but even so, it's a long time to work this way when the equipment is standing there.

My husband works for a massive private company. He has to use his own old battered laptop and personsl mobile, no equipment yet (he also uses 2 screens) but he does get about £5 a week for utilities use.

If you normally work in an office, but are now WFH. You can claim a small amount per week fro the tax man back. Look on money saving expert website. They recommend claiming once you are back in the office. I believe it was a P87 form

I'm an audio secretary and the only one in our firm wfh full time (vulnerable) so there's no real policy. I already had a desk and desktop PC at home so work have set up a VPN on that and there's the phone app so my I can make and take calls on the work phone. I can print to the printers at work where some poor sod has to sort out enclosures snd filing etc. I took home my headphones and foot pedal obviously and bought a cheap office chair myself. I also took my work keyboard home because it's much nicer and feels quicker than our home one.

Not saving on commuting as I walk to work but can't be bothered to claim for anything.

@StCharlotte

I'm an audio secretary and the only one in our firm wfh full time (vulnerable) so there's no real policy. I already had a desk and desktop PC at home so work have set up a VPN on that and there's the phone app so my I can make and take calls on the work phone. I can print to the printers at work where some poor sod has to sort out enclosures snd filing etc. I took home my headphones and foot pedal obviously and bought a cheap office chair myself. I also took my work keyboard home because it's much nicer and feels quicker than our home one.

Not saving on commuting as I walk to work but can't be bothered to claim for anything.

Surprised by this we used to work this way years ago but dictation is speech recognition now and we work paperless so no need sort enclosures and filing

@EnlightenedOwl

I have an app on my mobile which let's me receive calls and make them as if at work so cost is charged to work. Laptop is mine but has tonnes of work software on and work can dial into it remotely. Missing having two screens

@enlightenedowl what is the app called please as I'd like to have a look at that, thanks!

My workplace have been pretty good although it seems to have differed by departments as to what you got, however most of my team are finance analysts so screens were a must so we allowed people to buy those and a keyboard and mouse. We are currently trying to work out what to do about chairs, probably courier chairs to those in London but we have people working in some random places that it just isn't worthwhile doing, but a decent office chair isn't cheap. I'm waiting for someone on high to make a decision.

I had already paid for my own keyboard and mouse and they weren't expensive, and I got a laptop riser (about £20 from amazon) which lifts the laptop almost vertical so it works well as a second screen (and lifts the video camera to a decent chin forgiving height!).

What has surprised me is the requests from some of our contractors - people who are earning 1k a day plus and will go back to wfh when they finish contracts with us, asking for things like desks and chairs. Buy your own you tight sods!

PM'd you re app

It's nice that some companies are helping with this stuff; but I would ask you to think about how much money your company may have lost during lockdown, and how much you are saving by not commuting, buying lunch out etc. I wouldn't dream of asking for anything from my company unless I physically couldn't do my job without it.

@turnthebiglightoff

It's nice that some companies are helping with this stuff; but I would ask you to think about how much money your company may have lost during lockdown, and how much you are saving by not commuting, buying lunch out etc. I wouldn't dream of asking for anything from my company unless I physically couldn't do my job without it.

I agree. We know there are redundancies coming.

After the other person in my team was furloughed I also nabbed all our reference books

We had a divvy up. It didn't take much, we have 3 different benefit handbooks, they all have their strengths and weaknesses and my colleague and I favour different ones, so that was easy. Our boss was happy to settle for what was left, as she doesn't do much frontline advice/casework.

I had my own desk and company have given me my pc and two screens from work and are also giving out office chairs. I got a webcam delivered to my house yesterday for teams video calls

Most employers won't permit use of own IT for security reasons. Not everyone has a home pc or a compatible one - what are those who don't doing?

Ours used to say that, then, when a lot of the county was covered in snow a few winters ago, they sent out an email telling us how to access the VPN via the internet, so that's what I've been doing. It saves the faff of tethering via my work mobile, which probably wouldn't work too well, as the signal on the network they're on isn't very good here.

@EnlightenedOwl

Well I'm not making it up. We clearly work in very different fields. I strongly suspect my industry will never be paperless.

[quote StCharlotte]@EnlightenedOwl

Well I'm not making it up. We clearly work in very different fields. I strongly suspect my industry will never be paperless.[/quote]
We are legal sector and said much same but seem to have managed it. Its totally saved us at the moment

EnlightenedOwl

Interesting - so am I! But I guess as long as "wet signatures" are still required on documents...

I've been doing this job since 1982 and progress has been amazing over the decades. I'd say 80% is done online but It's that sticky 20% that will stop me wfh permanently.

(Which is a shame as I'm really enjoying it)

It depends what area of law you are in. We can electronically sign so wet signatures not an issue. Insurance defendant litigation

I have crap work laptop so using my own. Using my bedroom tv as spare monitor (bought HDMI as have Macbook) and bought wireless mouse and keyboard secondhand to use with. Bought £30 camping table from Argos to use as desk in bedroom.

Work sent be second monitor that i have set up downstairs so I swap with DH so we both get half a day each uninterrupted by kids.

The table, mouse and keyboard I will use again, and tbh expect to move to at least 3 days per week wfh anyway once this is all over, so happy with the outlay. No difference in cost of broadband.

I am lucky but I was wfh a day a week before this anway, and our work had moved all core functionality like payroll etc remote this year in preparation.

I am a data analyst so need two screens too - DH works in a different sector and has never had 2 screens before - for him it's a revelation and he's already wondering how he'll cope when he goes back to work with only one!

Only thing that's an issue is our backs as we're using plastic chairs, but am loathe to request office chairs at the moment as they will take up too much room. If we don't return til Jan as anticipated then this may change once all the kids return to school.

Do you have a tv you can requisition as a monitor for now?

We were sent home with laptop stands, mice, keyboards, usb extenders and cables to attach second screens if we had our own. The company went with top up what you already own approach so that supplies could be spread further. Some people have had headsets for video calls sent to them and one or two people have had monitors bought but they had to make a strong case for it.
We had to do a few assessment of the workplace within 2 weeks of being at home and the office manager is checking in every few weeks to see if there is anything we need. The only thing I've needed is new batteries for my Bluetooth mouse but they ordered/posted them to me within a few days. Our it support has been working hard to make it easier but we have come into vpn issues and our laptops not being sufficient to run some of our software but a kind colleague went into the office and turned on our pcs so we could remote desktop into them.

You can buy a wireless mouse for £6 keyboard for about £15 and black and white printer for under £20. If you can't afford them yourself, although you may find one or more useful after lockdown, ask your manager if you can get refunded on expenses?

Re broadband, surely that's not costing more, assume you had it prior to lockdown? So don't think you can claim for it.

Phone calls: if made on your land line, mark business calls on the bill and submit as expenses but doesn't everyone use their mobile for calls these days which come with free calls.

My work sent our desktops and all hardware home