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?

@Beenaboutabit

I'm gobsmacked at many of theses replies.

Many companies have moved their business costs (utilities and maintenance) on to their employees.

If the business is saving money and the employees are paying more of their own money to enable that, there is a problem.

My utility bills are double what they were pre WFH and my employers have dropped.

That so many people on this post think that is acceptable astounds me. Of course, OP's original point about BB is moot given it appears BB costs have not changed. But the wider issue of businesses sponging of employees should be unacceptable to every worker.

Totally agree with you, can only presume those saying it’s fine haven’t been affected. It’s cheaper for some people, they tend to be heard in the companies because it suits them and those paying out £100s extra just ignored! Who cares about tea bags but sitting trying to work whilst freezing because you can’t afford heating is no fun and wouldn’t be allowed in an office environment

I work at a university with over 4000 employees - we've never had free tea or coffee

So do I. We have always had free tea and coffee. I appreciate that it isn't the norm though.

therocinante

again, because it would cost me more to blast the heating to heat the house than to maintain it warm.

And because I have kids so the house is rarely empty for 12 hours a day.

Don’t forget your kettle has more limescale on it than it would have had.

@thecatandthevicar

I am amazed by all these people who have different heating costs. Did you all switch off the heating every time you left the house?

Yes! Of course. Why would I heat an empty house?

That so many people on this post think that is acceptable astounds me. Of course, OP's original point about BB is moot given it appears BB costs have not changed. But the wider issue of businesses sponging of employees should be unacceptable to every worker.

IKR. I just can't believe the naivety and the meekness of people on here who seem to think they should help their workplaces save money.

I wasn't aware until this thread that the standard practice applying to all my friends and relations whereby wfh is facilitated by the company, wasn't standard.

If you need to upgrade your broadband to support wfh - either faster or unlimited data, your work should pay for it. Same goes for any office furniture.

Don't be so grateful for a job that you let them take the piss.

I think space is a huge thing to cost and can’t believe people aren’t questioning it.

Me personally, I’m fine. We have a house, with enough bedrooms and a set office space.
But so many people don’t. I have friends who live in a 3 bed which is fine for them and two children, but now they need a proper separate office so the children now have to share bedroom and will be for the foreseeable future. They will be looking at trying to move if possible. I don’t think work should fund it all either, but they can’t pretend working for home isn’t an expense for many.

Oh, I worked in a place who provided free milk

but sent very angry when too much milk was being used and the employees dared stealing the company resources
(how much milk do you think employees had time to put in their coffee between 9 and 10am really 😂 )

Mind you, it was a company that expected all employees to take turn cleaning the loos and kitchen to save money, and use the "savings" to take the owner and her "directors" on a night out (4 directors, 2 employees).

And a director who preferred paying someone wage's to waste hours in the archive salvaging plastic pockets and paper clips, instead of buying new ones (or just sorting them out as you go along...)

I love stingy people, they are hilarious and waste so much time and money but they don't see to see it.

How will these people manage to "save money" on workers WFH?

Never mind the costs of heating the house, think of the impact on the environment also! No I don’t have heating on at home when I’m not there, it generally goes on for 2-3 hours in winter total if nobody is there in the day. Instead of heating one office space for 100 people we now have 100 individual houses being heated for 1 person!

If you aren't on a business broadband contract, and your broadband goes down, what is the SLA to restore ? Usually domestic contracts are very relaxed. So if your employer isn't paying for you to have business broadband, then that's one risk they are taking.

Or you are, if you discover your employer isn't so cool with you being out of action for a week.

I imagine there are a hell of a lot of businesses out there that haven't updated their business continuity and disaster recovery plans to factor such issues in too.

IKR. I just can't believe the naivety and the meekness of people on here who seem to think they should help their workplaces save money.

for most of us, the alternative was closing down the business, or WFH. It was never about "saving the company money"!

We are trying to make money during a crash and through a nasty recession popping out. We are also trying to... keep our job.

If it's becoming too difficult for people to work, it's easy to put their name down first when redundancies are starting.

I am amazed by the amount of people who blissfully ignore the fact that we are still in lockdown!

I want to know what my company are doing with the money they are saving on our refreshments/heating etc. They had to pay for some people to get Zoom licences but that's the only expense as far as I can make out.

@crumbsnamechange

I want to know what my company are doing with the money they are saving on our refreshments/heating etc. They had to pay for some people to get Zoom licences but that's the only expense as far as I can make out.

oh please do ask them that.

Because they do have to explain to you how they manage expenses, don't they? Did you also start a review board for the supply of stationery?

Sorry I can’t get on board with you wanting work to pay for your tea/coffee use at home 😂😂😂 That’s a perk really that they offer it in the office (my work do too although I don’t drink the stuff)

@therocinante

I can't believe some workplaces don't pay for tea and coffee, that's next level stingy!

DH worked for a company that refused to continue to pay for the flavour to be added to the flavoured water. They worked out it was costing approx 0.3 pence per cup. It was a very large well known bank, so not exactly short of money!

@Beenaboutabit

I'm gobsmacked at many of theses replies.

Many companies have moved their business costs (utilities and maintenance) on to their employees.

If the business is saving money and the employees are paying more of their own money to enable that, there is a problem.

My utility bills are double what they were pre WFH and my employers have dropped.

That so many people on this post think that is acceptable astounds me. Of course, OP's original point about BB is moot given it appears BB costs have not changed. But the wider issue of businesses sponging of employees should be unacceptable to every worker.

You are making this sounds like it is a strategy, which it is not. Companies haven't moved their business costs onto their employees, companies have had to work under last minute legislation from the government. Employees probably have some increase in energy bills, along side that is 2 hours a day gained through no commuting, no commuting costs, less clothing costs. Employers have largely had to provide work from home equipment where people mostly worked off PCs in the office and needed laptops at home, but mostly the other costs still exist. The office is still there and needs to be paid for, rent is still paid, rates, energy bills as the power needs to be maintained for servers and IT, security contracts need to be maintained, cleaning services are largely on contracts and can't just be dropped at the click of a finger.

The best part is most of the people who frequently complain about their new broadband cost (which they had anyway) don't actually want their employer to turn around and demand they are back in the office next week!

Never heard of work being expected to pay for somebody's broadband.

crumbsnamechange

when the company decided to move office to save costs for example, did you also demand to be consulted? Just checking

I think the OP is extremely lucky she still has a job. So many of us haven't. It's hard to read of someone complaining that they have to buy their own coffee now that they are working from home.

You could always quit your job, since it’s costing you so much extra 🙄, and free up a job for one of the thousands of people who have lost their job through lockdown. Then you can cancel your broadband and stop buying tea and coffee right? Get a grip

@DGRossetti

If you aren't on a business broadband contract, and your broadband goes down, what is the SLA to restore ? Usually domestic contracts are very relaxed. So if your employer isn't paying for you to have business broadband, then that's one risk they are taking.

Or you are, if you discover your employer isn't so cool with you being out of action for a week.

I imagine there are a hell of a lot of businesses out there that haven't updated their business continuity and disaster recovery plans to factor such issues in too.

Yep.

If companies are shifting from lockdown contingency mode to long term wfh like the OP, this needs to be considered carefully.

As I said above - as a seasoned wfh who needs reliable high speed internet, residential contracts simply don't cut it.

I wonder if I'm really mean about heating? It comes on for an hour or 2 around 6.30am, an hour at lunch time and then from 4pm til 9 or 10.
Its always had that pattern and I havent changed it when we are at home. When it was v cold/snowing occassionally put it on for an extra hour

@Viviennemary

Never heard of work being expected to pay for somebody's broadband.

When I was WFH it was mandated. For precisely the reason I noted upthread. If you're on a domestic contract, you can wait a long time for a repair. Depending on ISP a business one has a 24 hour fix time.

We are also trying to... keep our job

If it's becoming too difficult for people to work, it's easy to put their name down first when redundancies are starting.

Your company will make you redundant for pointing out you need decent broadband to do your job? It's in their interest no?

@macaronirabbit

I wonder if I'm really mean about heating? It comes on for an hour or 2 around 6.30am, an hour at lunch time and then from 4pm til 9 or 10. Its always had that pattern and I havent changed it when we are at home. When it was v cold/snowing occassionally put it on for an extra hour

Heating should be for your own comfort, there's no rule.

When it starts getting warmer, mine comes up at 4am, so house is warm by 6, and stays on until midnight. We have a thermostat, if it's too hot, the heating doesn't come off anyway.