To refuse this request from employer

[StrongerSingle]

Not posted for aaages ... but needed some perspective and advice on this.

I have the most awful employers and quite honestly, am very happy working from home so that I do not have to see them. For the record, my job entails dealing with financial reporting (mainly Excel) and all the company files are in the cloud so accessible from anywhere.

At the beginning of lockdown, they were their usual unorganised muppets and we all started working from home without any IT equipment being supplied. I have a decent laptop and large monitor of my own so just carried on working using my equipment. They have never offered to supply anything .. just assuming we will all use our own stuff.

Today I get a message saying they want to install time-logging software on MY laptop to see what I am doing. I must admit I haven't seen it yet and do not know what info it will be sending them ... but AIBU to say no?

Paper timesheets? Are they really expecting to send you paper timesheets and have you post them back each week (at their cost)?

How can these people operate a financial business in 2020?

YANBU.

Simply say: I've considered your request and whilst I'm more than happy to utilise this software it will not be uploaded to MY personal equipment. If you want to use potentially hackable software I'm afraid you will need to provide the hardware.

End of. You know they're too tight to provide a laptop so it's a win win.

The online monitoring OR the timesheets are just paranoia aren't they? So sad. Really you should trust your employees and it should be obviously whether they're getting things done or not.

I knew someone whose firm did use monitoring software and he had to make sure he moved the mouse at least every 15 mins so as not to look lazy. It's ridiculous.

Also not every work task takes place on a computer keyboard. I've had phone calls today. Also had to do some significant reading, and make notes on paper...

Surely the monitoring means that Miss Tantrum has to spend time looking over your timesheets? That's going to get boring quickly

Am frankly astounded that anyone could have voted YABU, let alone 3%. I guess the trolls are busy tonight.
There is NO WAY this is acceptable on anything other than work-supplied machines. TBH, they sound naive and clueless. Are you sure you're in the right job?

I hope you’re getting paid a ton OP!

I work for a PLC (not as fancy as it sounds) and have been looking for my next career move as during these times businesses are working extra hard to change and react and it creates opportunities. Our finance team certainly has loads of challenges and probably monthly a vacancy comes up.

If you do ANY wfh be it one day or all week you can claim tax relief!

Form P87 allows you to claim £6 a week (£312 year) UNCHECKED! You can claim more than this but you will have to provide full info...

@SurroundedByIdiotsEverywhere

If you do ANY wfh be it one day or all week you can claim tax relief!

Form P87 allows you to claim £6 a week (£312 year) UNCHECKED! You can claim more than this but you will have to provide full info...

That's interesting to know.

On the 15 min timesheet thing it sounds worse than it actually is!

I work for an accountancy firm and we all submit daily timesheets based on 15 min intervals which we call units. So each daily timesheet has 30 units. Most days I only have 5ish entries ie a task has taken 1.5hrs or more so that is one entry of X units. While working remotely most people don't have access to the timesheet system so we prepare them on excel - I keep it open in the background all day and fill in an entry when I complete a task. At the end of the day I email it to admin to input to the system. The next day I just use the same spreadsheet, clear it down and start over again. You could do the same and just email it to her at the end of every day!

I second what previous posters have said about putting 1 unit in for doing your timesheet - a timesheet report setting out everyone's daily timesheets is sent to the management group at the end of the next working day and it always makes me chuckle that one colleague records 1 unit of time for "timesheet, tea and toilet"

Might this software be about tracking time spent on work for different clients so they can be billed appropriately? Standard practice in e.g. legal firms.

First of all, any live "time logging" software (AKA spyware) is pretty sketchy given GDPR constraints medium.com/@TrackTime24/gdpr-and-employee-time-tracking-what-you-need-to-know-18866dc94312.

If they really need you to fill in timesheets (which is legitimate for professional services roles such as lawyers and consultants), there are plenty of web-based platforms that can be used. These would just require internet access and a log in. Paper timesheets? Very last century..

Could you say that your personal laptop has a fault and that you are borrowing one at present? Therefore you CANNOT HAVE anything installed on it. At the same time mention that if you are to continue to work at home, would the company please supply a laptop solely for this purpose? Also say that you do not need WiFi (no laptop) so could they set up and pay for a connection so that you can continue to work. I would be looking for a new position as soon as possible

Think I would be asking for indemnity from using your own laptop anti virus software etc seeing as though they are refusing to buy you a decent laptop...

Cover your back!

I would also add that your laptop is too old and hadn’t got the memory capacity.
It’s really out of order. 6 months is more than evough time for a financial institution to get sorted,

Goodness Op, they sound like a nightmare. Good luck in continuing to put up with it and good luck in your job search.

ask if as well as a laptop you want a high speed internet connection and is the time logging device so they can repay the electricity it is using and how much is your stationary allowance ?

@Rachand23

Say your laptop has just died, they will now need to replace it.

This the simplest thing that will get you a brand new one.

@Moo31

On the 15 min timesheet thing it sounds worse than it actually is!

I work for an accountancy firm and we all submit daily timesheets based on 15 min intervals which we call units. So each daily timesheet has 30 units. Most days I only have 5ish entries ie a task has taken 1.5hrs or more so that is one entry of X units. While working remotely most people don't have access to the timesheet system so we prepare them on excel - I keep it open in the background all day and fill in an entry when I complete a task. At the end of the day I email it to admin to input to the system. The next day I just use the same spreadsheet, clear it down and start over again. You could do the same and just email it to her at the end of every day!

I second what previous posters have said about putting 1 unit in for doing your timesheet - a timesheet report setting out everyone's daily timesheets is sent to the management group at the end of the next working day and it always makes me chuckle that one colleague records 1 unit of time for "timesheet, tea and toilet"

I was about to respond the same way about timesheets in Excel (which you are using all day anyway) rather than paper timesheets which can get lost anywhere along the delivery line.

Also I'd suggest ensuring that the Excel version of your timesheet is protected, so it cannot be amended by anyone but you. Given the weirdness of those asking you I'd not put it beyond possibility that your Excel timesheets could be tampered with. Also keep a copy for yourself on your laptop (not just the cloud) in case of queries later.

However- maybe time to see what else is out there OP.

Good luck. 🌹

Just popped back to thank everyone for the comments and suggestions.

I have refused the software and at the moment nothing has been said. I will continue to give them my time breakdown just as I always have.

I see a few more jobs coming on the market now so something will come up :)

And I wouldn't be happy about time logging software generally
Don't all companies with networks automatically have a record of when you log off and on and whether and how much CPU time is being used?

Itsabeautifuldayheyhey I think the point is that they'd have to put company software on the OP's personal laptop to capture these records.

Wow. No effing way!

It's time for them to get professional and supply proper WFH equipment.

Also, ask them about WFH expenses for heating etc.

What laptop do you have that is decent? Mine's on its last legs misses point of thread
No,I agree with everybody else. Work software belongs on work hardware.

Install an auto clicker, I'm curious how many Gb you could get the log file to before it crashed thier end