Emplyoyer refuses to provide tools for the job

Dannygrove

I have a strange issue that I wonder if someone might be able to help me out with.
I started a new job a week ago. For my role I use a high spec computer to run specialist software (im a designer).
The night before i started, my employer emailed me to ask me to bring my laptop in with me. I assumed this was to enable them to add some kind of VPN or email software to it.
When I arrived on my first morning I was told that the company has no high end machines and that I would be expected to use my own laptop for the role. No mention if this was made at interview stage and if it had been I would not have accepted the job. There is also no mention of this in my contract. I am a full time, permanent emplyee, so cannot be classed as self employed either.
Speaking to HR, the company has no Bring Your Own Device policy in place and has not put in place any measures to mitigate data leakage through a personal device. They have also refused to consider renumeration for both insurance and wear and tear, leaving me feeling rather exploited.
I just wondered if anybody was familiar with this kind of behaviour and perhaps had some advice about what to do. I cannot afford a new machine should this one go wrong, be stolen or get damaged. This is not something I have encountered in any other job I have had before.

agrinnall

If the company is that cheap I'd be looking for another job.

stator

Your options are really limited, either put up with it or leave.



Since you have a job if the laptop broke you could pressumably get a new one on credit somewhere.


Ideally something like this would be written into the contract and you would be told about it before the job offer was made, but I don't believe there are any laws being broken here.


I would start looking for a new job, a company that can't afford IT equipment is the type of company that might have trouble paying it's employees on time.



If your job involves handling data govered by GDPR then I guess you could snitch the company to the ICO.

ReadingTim

Your choices are to lump it or leave - it's disappointing this wasn't explained beforehand but you can't force them to provide you with a company laptop as they're not doing anything illegal (to you anyway).

Suck it up, or hand in your notice. Your call.

MEM62

There are some professions where it is accepted that the employee provides their own tools. A friend of mine works in a car body workshop and all the guys there have their own tools. However, I have never heard of this in the IT field.

My first thought is that this opens up more than one can of worms. Presumably, there will be data stored on your laptop and that it is not just being used as a dumb terminal. In the event that you part company with your employer you will potentially have a lot of commercially sensitive data in your possession over which they have no control. (A considerably risk for your employer) If any of that DATA is personal and falls under the scope of GDPR then there is no way that your employer can be GDPR compliant.

Unfortunately, there are times when there is a conflict in considering what you do next. The right thing to do is to bring that matter to your employers attention and open up a discussion on the issue. However, being new to the job you may consider the risk to your continued employment and just live with the situation.

I have faced similar conflicts where I have a duty to various regulators in terms of compliance that clashed with the wishes of my employer. Fortunately, I was able to persuade my company to do the right thing but there are times when I have had to push hard enough that I was risking my job.

System

I can see some huge GDPR problems here. Really, you should not be allowed to bring your own laptop on site due to the new regs - or at least have encryption software installed.

coffeehound

Presumably the onus then falls on the employee to have proof available for inspection that all software is genuine and registered. All very strange. It sounds like they would prefer to have a freelance. As it is you are providing a freelance type service but without the benefits.

trailingspouse

Oddly, many (most) employers refuse to allow workers (either employees or contractors) to use their own laptops etc for work. This is much more understandable than expecting you to use your own.

Ms_Chocaholic

We are not even allowed to take a memory stick into my work and plug it into the IT equipment

getmore4less

Did you not notice when you had your look around the employees had no decent equipment.

Annisele

Probably worth asking your colleagues what they do. Are they all using their own machines?
Also, does the specialist software you use require a paid-for license - and if so, who is paying for that?
But I agree with the people suggesting a company that can't afford a computer is probably not going to survive very long anyway. If this doesn't turn out to be a huge mix up, I'd be job hunting.