To expect my work to pay for broadband and other wfh expenses?

[Zazzii]

Since last March like many of us I have been working from home - I have a work laptop and phone and use our spare room. I had always worked the odd day at home when it was convenient for wating in for deliveries/ appointments etc but only once or twice a month. I, and line manager etc, were happy with this but it was seen as a bit of a perk

Now that working from home is established as the 'new normal' is it wrong for me to expect my employer to cover my broadband costs? They dont seem inclined to give us anything telling us that as we have it already there is no increased costs for us of using it for an additional 7 hours a day.

It is vital for the business that we are connected therefore the cost should be met by the business. Plans from teh summer are for us to continue working from home at least for part of the week so it will be long term.

I undertsand that they dont want to get involved in discussions about individual broadband contracts etc but a standard amount for all staff - say £30 a month?, £40?- should be part of our expenses claim. Or do I need to accept it as part of the new way of working?

Then there are other expenses which I have incurred over the past year - bigger things like the heating and electricity during the day but also small things like the coffee, tea and other refreshments I would normally expect to have at work which I have had to pay for.

I havent reduced any costs in other areas - my commute is 2 miles by bike so negilible cost and time saving.

Am I being unreasonable? Would it be unreasonable to try and rally my fellow workers to ask for this?

When you worked in the office did you think they should pay for your bike? After all it was needed for you to get to work. And your clothes - it's their rule that you can't go to work naked or in pyjamas, so why should you pay for clothes?

If you are incurring extra cost to be at home it's reasonable to ask for that to be covered.

But you aren't. You are likely already saving on commuting costs etc which should offset some additional heat/water costs. If you require anything like extra insurance for work equipment or the like then it's fair to ask for that but you had broadband already, you are being a little bit of a CF.

I am sure that your employer would cover the cost if the broadband is 100% used only for work purposes, that you or anyone else in your household do not access the internet for any kind of recreational online activity such as social media, gaming, Netflix or similar or if you have children for homelearning or accessing homework. Unless you have had to pay a significant increase in your broadband costs to be able to work from home, then why should your employer pay for it?

We can only claim via employer if our net expenses have increased. I.e. you need to take the cost of your commute off the £6 a week. So basically unless you normally walked to work you can’t claim anything. My normal commute was 80 miles so even with the extra hearing I am still better off wfh. I am not complaining.

@ShinyMe

Wait, your work paid for your tea and coffee? Surely that's not usual.

Mine does this and get this....it’s NHS!! I was shocked when I moved there and found out 😂

When you didn’t have a commute cost but others did, should work have compensated them for that?

You had savings pre lockdown. Now you don’t. Swings and roundabouts

If you already had broadband, why would your company cover the cost for a utility you already had and use?

@Chwaraeteg Actually, it's more now. £6 per week: well not really it’s tax relief so £1.20 a week.

I think they should do tbh.

Dh and I have worked from home for ages, but we do pay for the premium business internet package for example (around £100), when a medium standard (£40 ish)would be enough without working. So that def is an extra.

Dh old work about 5 years ago, London office also provided free gym on site, free kitchen stocked with fancy breakfast pastries, coffee, fruit, snacks.. He always ate breakfast for free and all drinks and snacks. I know it was a perk, but many offices do similar and those suddenly now working from home would pay a fair bit extra at home for the same ‘service’.

Most people have invested in a better work from home set up equipment, more utilities are used.

Depends on each company I guess, whether you have to just suck it up or whether they offer a token extra.

Sorry just seen you don't save on commute. But that isnt the point.

I dont get it, your broadband costs haven't increased so why should your work pay it?

It’s all relative. You might feel worse off wfh but other staff won’t and won’t want you rocking the boat and demanding payment if it might mean your business orders everyone back into the office.

Also, is your business actually making money? Always going to be awkward asking for broadband costs to be paid if the firm has been through a tough period. Would also look insensitive if people have been made redundant as well.

Fwiw, i think in time firms will start to pay some sort of home working allowance eventually, but will probably mean no pay rise / bonus for a couple of years. Few firms are that generous. As ever, pick your battles.

My brother is a facilities manager and they have had requests for-
Chairs
Desks
Cameras
Microphones
Keyboards
Monitors
Boxes of individual teabags
A log cabin

I cannot tell you how amused he's been at the log cabin Everyone else got what they wanted, even Teabag Lady, but unfortunately Log Cabin Man was denied.

is it wrong for me to expect my employer to cover my broadband costs

Ofcourse it is. Why should they? Presumably you've had BB for years & I bet your own personal usage far outweighs your work one. I cant believe you'd actually even consider it was a reasonable request

YANBU

But your employer would also NBU to lower your salary by the amount you are saving by not travelling into the office. Works both ways imo.

They should also pay for the water you use going to the toilet at home during work hours. And any gas or electricity used to heat your lunch. And toilet paper!

The thing is, your costs might have gone up but for a majority of people their costs will have gone down in real terms as they are not paying for commuting.

I work in the public sector and have been a permanent homeworker for 15 years. Years ago we used to get an allowance towards light and heat, and a dedicated broadband and phone line.

Now, new homeworkers don’t get either, even though all our other terms are generous and we get all our equipment supplied. It seems fair to me - barely anyone doesn’t have a sufficient broadband speed, and the save on commuting more than outweighs the heating and lighting costs, not to mention the flexibility which is offered by home working.

I think if you added up the costs and benefits you’ll still be better off.

Your still quids in because I assume it would cost you more than £40 a month on petrol or trains to get into work?

If you walked to work then your saving on work clothes anyway so you will still be up.

YABU. Your internet doesn’t cost more just because you’re using it for work, and the tea/coffee/biscuits provided at work were a perk, not an expectation.

YABU

Even if your employer did agree to pay for this you would personally be liable to pay tax on it, as if it was a salary. This is because they'd be providing you with something that is not wholly and exclusively for the purpose of their business (unless they provide you with a second broadband connection that you only use for business, then you'd be no better off as you'd still need a personal connection too).

As mentioned above, you're entitled to a use of home allowance which either your employer can pay you tax-free, or you can claim the tax effect of through HMRC directly.

I actually quite pissed off at the assumption that I'm happy to do this,

It's not my works broad band to use it's MINE - if it goes down I need to sort it.

The same with square footage for a permanent desk set up
Suitable ergonomic desk and chair
Second screen set up to same a work environment
Increased heating bills

If wfh is permanent- then we'll need a bigger house (small terrace, two adults needing a desk to work at)

Lost work subsidised canteen, pay for own printing and office supplies.

My travel savings amounts to £20 in petrol per month, but I still wear clothes.

I'm really hacked off at the assumption that this is all wonderful progress! If you think its fucking petty, then on principal should I start sleeping at work? Keep a fold out bed under my desk? After all it's not costing them is it?

I work in HR and this came up in our work recently, with one employee campaigning for wfh payment on behalf of everyone wfh.

We have half the workforce who can't wfh as not office based jobs (factory),and around half who can or at least a proportion of their time. The consensus of the survey of those wfh was this person was being unreasonable basically. Many are saving on travel, childcare, convenience of getting deliveries /doing a shop/putting on a wash when you are in the house etc vs it all building up for the weekend etc.

Plus there's the added benefit of still having a job and not having to risk your health still going into work.

If your company has sold off the offices and is one of the few who are doing better during the pandemic than before it, then no harm in asking but I wouldn't go trying to rally the troops for free tea and coffee tbh.

ut also small things like the coffee, tea and other refreshments I would normally expect to have at work which I have had to pay for.

are you for real? This is a joke right?

We did provide tech to everyone, but for confidential reasons it also made sense to provide 1 work laptop (and a screen or 2 if needed, they don't cost much anyway)

so everybody has the right specs, the right everything installed for them and can't argue their child needs to borrow their work machine.

but tea and coffee?
I'd love to see people starting to claim for the couple of apples and bananas they have to buy, now they are separated from the office fruit baskets....