What is the Standard Work From Home Equipment that you purchase for most employees? Basically, what is the Baseline Standard, if you have one? After 2020, I would imagine that company policies may have changed. The equipment you provide to employees may have changed?
I'm asking, because my company is exploring the possibility of changing their equipment loaning policy. To be honest, my company is looking at the possibility of increasing the amount of equipment we loan as a baseline standard. I am trying to persuade management to provide a stipend, rather than loan equipment. I've seen too many issues with the equipment that we currently loan out.
For example, I want employees to buy their own monitors, rather than return them with heavy cigarette smoke damage, vent filled food particles, and scratches. At that point, it's more hazardous to accept them back as the smell fills my office.
Do you provide Work From Home Equipment?
No. Employees can work from home and must only use company-provided equipment. The use of personal equipment for work use is strictly prohibited. Any additional equipment needed to execute a successful work from home experience will be purchased by us.
Mobile employees were not a big part of our operation. When asked to provision 50 people for WFH in two weeks, we used the PCs we'd retired over the last year. We updated Windows on them ($0) and provided a new keyboard ($6) and mouse ($4). I bought 19" monitors on ebay for about $40 each. We set them up with an always-on Softether VPN client ($0) and turned them into remote terminals. The users RDP to their personal desktops.
When they return the units, we take the monitors and system units and have them keep the keyboards and mice (or throw them away).
Very few have multiple monitors at work, so that's not a problem remotely.
Thank you for your input Robert. It's increasingly common that employee have 3x 24-inch monitors in the office. Yes, we diligently use them all. We're a competitive industry, so working from home can be key to keeping and attracting good talent. We're just trying to strike a good balance.
Just a computer (two Dell laptops of half decent quality, even though they are merely Win 10 enterprise) and basic accessories. I've pushed for folks on my team to get a docking station and decent dual displays. All 750+ employees are 100% remote through the end of 2021 if not beyond...
I run circles around the work-provided gear with my own ChromeOS, macOS ("evil" Intel and M1) and Raspberry Pi hardware (along with a PA firewall and other fun stuff mounted in a Chatsworth two-post rack).
I also invested in a couple of quality 4k displays (21.5" LG 220 PPI and a decent quality 27") that attach via single lightning connection and CalDigit TS-3+ with either of the work provided laptops or my personal ones.
We provide monitors/docks/wire keyboard and mouse/cables. Some may expense their own but still need to return them.
A stipend is a good way to do it! Like $100 for each monitor?
Agree on hazardous equipment returned.
We have had many people break or drop monitors and laptops with WFH setup.
It all depends to what extend you need your staff to work at home and to what extend does the company have contacts (ISP, PC makers, software vendors etc).
We have tie-in with ISP and things like "friends of Dell" etc where we also recommend staff only to get certain models with certain support SLA (easier if they approach for troubleshooting us as well).
Then things like add-on mouse, kb & screens would come under budget for staff welfare as it maybe hard to look at 13" screens hours at a time...so maybe up to 27" inch Dell screens (of certain range) is provided as part of the package.
It goes something like
- Dell Latitude 5xxx or 7xxx 13" (some basic min config like i7 CPU, 8 GB RAM, 512GB SSD, no touch screen, 3yrs onsite support with completecover)
- Spare Optical mouse and KB combo (with another wired mouse)
- above not more than $2500
- Dell screen (certain models only, 24"-27" with add-on cables for DP, HDMI etc)
- 300Mbps or 500Mbps broadband with Cisco or Linksys wireless router package (as a bundle from ISP)
* staff have to work for at least 2 yrs else there will be some penalties on last pay check (but we usually forgo if staff worked more than 12 months)
We had limited WFH before the current situation and we provide HP i5 15" laptops. Everything they need is in O365.
I work for a large corporation so the WFH situation flexed a bit depending on where the person worked. For example, the desk side techs got their laptop and that was it. But the traders got all the monitors they needed (normally two), their dock, keyboard and mouse, and laptop to WFH. It essentially came down to if you make money for the company, you get what you want. If you're a cost (IT), you get what you get.
In most places I've been the standard for WFH users is a notebook. In some instances we'd supply a management approved peripheral. But all other items were supplied by the user.
As a rule, we provide only a laptop and USB headsets for call center associates. All laptops equipped with VPN client for access to network resources (ERP system, network file shares, etc.). If the situation calls for it, we may provide some old 19" monitors for secondary displays.
At first, we do not provide anything.
In some cases, and just for some users, we provide a computer, or a screen.
It depends on the worker, but we usually provide a laptop and perhaps a keyboard and mouse if they need it. Sometimes a monitor, based on their role in the company. Aside from that, they have to purchase their own equipment, but I believe they can expense it, so long as it's solely for work.
We provide a laptop with an external monitor on a VPN. Softphone is loaded or they can use their cell phone without compensation.
When I started, I was given a laptop, two monitors, a docking station, and HIDs. I was also given a desktop for the office that I have visited a single time (specifically to get an access badge and set up my desktop). I provided my own desk and chair (and facities, et al), BUT I was told that if I needed any ergonomic stuff, I could work with HR/workplace health to get them.
We were letting people use loaner laptops and take home their desk monitors if they wanted. Everyone's back in the office now so it doesn't matter.
If an employee has to work from home for an extended period of time we have them take their company computer home with the vpn software installed. If it's for a short period of time we allow them to take a spare laptop with vpn on it and rdp to their office computer.
Department heads always had a Surface Pro LTE with an additional monitor and KB/M. We took the same approach last year, but with a standard laptop (no LTE, employees had to provide their own access to the internet). It's a bit of a hodge-podge of various laptops due to availability issues. Some department heads saw the writing on the wall and requested devices and peripherals for their employees while others held out as long as possible (mostly because they didn't like the idea of WFH).
I switched jobs during teh pandemic so I'll tell you what we did at both places. Neither job gave employees a stipend for equipment or internet.
At job 1, most users had desktop PCs with 4 monitors in the office. These were glorified thin clients as everyone RDP'd into a terminal server. When we sent them home, we installed a VPN client and handed them their desktop, mouse, keyboard, and 2 monitors. We used VOIP (RingCentral), so they also took their phone. We also provided any network cables they needed to connect their equipment.
At job 2, most users had laptops or Microsoft Surfaces/Surface Go's and dual monitors. These people took their device, keyboard and mouse, and 1 or 2 monitors. We refused to let them take their printers so they used their home printers and called us trying to get support! I was asked why I refused to support people's personal printers and pointed out that if they were printing for business, they'd likely ask us to pay for their ink cartridges (and they did). I also pointed out that printouts would just sit on their counter until they were allowed to bring them in to the office, so why not just print at the office printer anyway? 'You mean they can print in the office even though they're at home? *mind blown*'
If you do go the route of allowing people to purchase their own equipment, how will you support it? Will you require a baseline standard of what they must buy? Will you limit it to certain brands? Will employees get to keep the equipment when they leave the company? If you don't support it, will 'My off-brand Walmart PC has to be sent to Taiwan to be fixed.' be an adequate excuse for not performing their duties? I mean, its great if all your employees are adult enough to take responsibility for their equipment, but I have yet to see such a workforce.
Case by case basis. Laptop, dock, multiple monitors or workstation & multiple monitors. Some just use personal device to vpn and rdp. Some where just given extra monitor. Some even get Internet service stipend, as some get mobile phone stipend also if they do not have (or want) company phone.
We transitioned many of our users from desktop to laptop in the past 14 months as in-office work was suspended by the company. Additional company provided peripherals is a case-by-case basis. Usually that means one external monitor. We're not paying a stipend for home internet, though in a few cases we've provided a wifi hotspot where the employee has no ISP. The company is still mulling over it's long-term policies as offices reopen for in-person business. Prior to all this, work-at-home was pretty much on the employee to supply everything.
We had basically no work from home prior to COVID (basically only the two owners). When COVID hit, we set up about 20 users to work from home, and they were simply sent home with their work computer (including keyboard, mouse, monitor, and desk phone).
For users that didn't already have home setups, we coordinated with them to take their setups from the office. When they returned, we coordinated with them to get their desks setup again at the office.
All of our office workers have laptops (a few were on desktops that we switched over to laptops during 2020) and we have let them borrow an older monitor (that was going to the recycle bin) to take home and work with their laptop. I had a few extra docks that people have taken home as well. (I don't expect to get them back) But for the most part, if they want more than that, they have to provide any accessories. We all are working from home on Fridays still but that probably won't be long term. At the office, we all have 2 monitors, dock, keyboard and mice provided.
We provide employees with a Dell Laptop, a docking station, and two monitors. And if some need it, they get remote access to one of our servers that allows them to have access to certain programs that they may or may not need. In cases where a laptop isn't enough, they may get a desktop instead.
tp_ahaas?So you purchase everything? Mice, Keyboard, Monitors?
Absolutely. Users are seldom the best shoppers for the equipment they need.
We are not allowed to WFH but I think usual practice is a laptop with docking station or external monitor and mouse.
We always have a lot of users at remote jobsites or small offices, so the RDS infrastructure in place for those users didn't change when they went WFH. For the main office staff going home, we ABSOLUTELY provided the tools for their jobs. Allowing BYOD is a very narrowly decided issue for PHONES, if it's not our computer it ain't coming in the door (or VPN).
Most folks got a notebook (i5, Full HD, 8-16GB RAM, 256+ GB NVMe), wireless keyboard and mouse, and a 23-24" monitor. We had a back-stock of monitors, as we've transitioned nearly everyone to 27's. Some folks got two monitors, some folks got laser MFP's or laser printers. There are hardcopy reports required for compliance, so it was perfectly reasonable to have printers at home.
Our drafting and design groups already had ZBooks for take home, AutoDesk licensing was in a transition from self-hosted network license servers to cloud based named user licensing. Regardless, the VPN infrastructure made the license servers easily available. Again, existing work from anywhere tools were suddenly EXTREMELY important and useful.
I feel for the folks that have to allow for BYOD, the budget vs security battle is real and on-going.
Being K-12 Education with only the teachers allowed to WFH (if able and they want to), we didn't have much to do in the line of handing out equipment. Some had Windows or Mac laptops already and the rest had Chromebooks or were issued them. A small group dedicated to a virtual learning environment also got printers. There was an offer of a stipend for them that they had to request to offset their internet cost. We have had some issues with poor home network connections (or none), and issued hotspots to them (if I have to give you a hotspot to do your job from home, then you aren't 'able' to work from home and should be in your classroom, but that is a rant for another time).
We did have a handful right from the start that we loaned monitors to in order to work more efficiently at home, the finance department working on large and multiple spreadsheets for example got monitors to plug into their laptops, but that was the exception rather than the rule.
Whatever was on their desk was available to take home and connect in to the office VPN, some have access to a WVD set up.
We have provided 15.6", 9th gen i5, 8gb, laptops as they must be domain joined to access our EHR. Employees have signed equipment loan documents stating the care and responsibility of the equipment. No employee has treated them badly, broken anything, or otherwise damaged them.
Work from home - yes. Equipment provided by company - No.
When my significant others office closed due to the pandemic, the whole office had to work from home. The equipment that they are using is whatever they had in the office and nothing else. No stipends or moneys to offset the cost from working home. The only plus is that she does not have to spend gas money to go to and from work. I guess that is the stipend or monetary offset.
Anthony,
It often helps to look at what other's policies are (which you are wisely doing). Here are some examples I think you may find some value in.
Indiana Wesleyan University: Standard Issue Equipment
FDA (CDER) MAPP Policy and procedures
Department of Child services (DCF): Issuing protocol
Merced College Electronic Request Form
End users can be very disgusting and I feel your pain. Food, boogers, spit, coffee, hair, and God knows what else. I would caution against a stipend. I would recommend you get a 'standard tier' of all the same machine. Uniformity is a blessing if you can get it. Then have a second tier for your C levels and other power users, because they almost never accept the 'standard issue' anything. I suppose it's fair that they don't... What you want to avoid is having everyone have different equipment, or use their own. You lose pretty much all control and authority if you let them BYOD.
You could also penalize them for destroying / damaging company property, I've tried that angle a few times and it never gained traction. Maybe I just suck at it, maybe it's a bad angle. Basically think of the standard issue as throwaways. Honestly after what I have seen in laptops and towers I would be hesitant to bring them back into the shop after they were at someone's house. They are so cheap these days, you could just issue them a laptop, and it's a freebie to them. If they break it they have to buy another, first one is on the company. I like the stipend idea, but remove the choice of hardware. If they want monitors, let them buy them. Give them the basics they need to efficiently complete their tasks. And sure if that calls for 2 monitors, so be it. But I wouldn't drop a few grand on them, 1920x1080 or 1440s are criminally cheap now. I guess the approach I would take depends on how many employees your business has. But I would probably settle on a robust laptop, and allow employees to option a second low cost monitor on the companies dime. Anything more like HID / peripherals are on them (unless they need a specific 'whatever' to complete their job).
Best of luck!
We don't have many that get hardware. But the ones who do need home computer systems get a few monitors, docking station and laptop.
We already had a large percentage of WFH prior to "the situation". WFH typically get a laptop/monitor/keyboard/mouse.
Part of our DR plan included having all staff have laptops--that always helped when it snowed. (We don't get much snow here, and it shuts down the city.)
So we we shifted all staff to WFH, they took whatever they wanted from their desks--monitors, keyboard, mouse, etc. And $50 a month for home internet.
In December, management let all staff pick either wide screen 34" monitors (low end), dual 24", or dual 27", for either home use or in the office for when the office opened up again (it still hasn't).
We've hired a lot of remote staff this year, and we set them up with our standard Dell Latitude domain joined laptop, monitor setup choice as above, keyboard, mouse, wrist rests, surge protector, external webcam. They're responsible for a proper working space (desk, chair, etc.)
Management's view is if you need it to work, we provide it. Makes for happy staff, productive staff.
And I can't imagine the nightmare of managing a BYOD environment!
Yes laptops
We provide everything. We ship them a PC (most were retired, but have started ordering refurbs,) Windows 10, OpenVPN (end user needs to log in each time) to RDP to work machine. The PC is a member of our domain and has our end-point management and policies deployed. It's a watered-down version of our in-house machines but treated with the same/or more security requirements (Bitlocker, WSUS, USB restrictions.)
Mouse, Keyboard, Headphones, Wifi/Network extenders, Avaya IP Phone, power-bars, 2x21" monitors, webcams. Everything...
LaserValley Technologies is an IT service provider.
Only a smart phone here at this time, but then we have not had the level of at home workers as some business have.
Thank you for taking the survey. It appears that many companies are generous in providing technology for employees to work from home. I believe these answers help businesses that want to remain competitive and attract good talent.
On the other hand, it's no wonder why products requiring semiconductors are hard to find.
Thankfully yes! (Because my at-home "office" prior to the pandemic wasn't at all going to cut it haha)
At the office, yes, we can buy a laptop or computer. If an employee goes to work remotely, he can take it with him and work from home.
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