Employer asking me to get broadband to work at home

LDW25

I am required to work from home full time and since March my employer supplied a WiFi dongle. I don't have want or need home broadband, partly because, thanks to this site I have an excellent mobile data SIM deal. They are now saying I must install home broadband and return the dongle.  Has anyone been asked to do this, and can they do this by law?

pallyman

If they are paying why not go ahead,This gives you a back up also if your mobile connection is ever down.

The_Fat_Controller

Use your SIM and tether your devices if that's allowed in your mobile contract.
If the speeds and data limit are too low for your work, you'll have to install broadband, hopefully work will be contributing to the cost.

JJ_Egan

If you refuse what are they going to do ??

Make your position redundant ?

Highland76

pallyman said:

If they are paying why not go ahead,This gives you a back up also if your mobile connection is ever down.

+1. Bit of a no-brainer if the OP's employer will be paying for the fixed line connection.

Chino

Highland76 said:

+1. Bit of a no-brainer if the OP's employer will be paying for the fixed line connection.

Not so fast - HMRC might consider employer-provided broadband a "benefit in kind" and tax the OP accordingly.

Socajam

Even if the employer is not paying, would the OP prefer to be unemployed to having a job.
If I was an employer I would not be paying for anyone to have broadband - choice is do you want to work or be unemployed.
I work from work, have broadband and never approach my employer to pay the cost.  Just working from home is enough for me - the benefits it brings: not having to deal with getting up early and the travelling is priceless.
People need to realize that going forward whether they like it or not, a lot of people will be working from home - we entered an area where the outcome for employment etc is unknown.

molerat

My son's monthly petrol savings are 8 times his monthly broadband cost along with 30 hours per month less in the car.

maisie_cat

My sister has been working from home and will continue to do so, she has taken a 20% pay cut voluntarily and she is still better off than when she was commuting. she has no broadband and is just now getting it connected. Her employer is paying for the connection and she will pay the monthly cost. she views it as a no brainer, she still has a job.

Highland76

Socajam said:

If I was an employer I would not be paying for anyone to have broadband - choice is do you want to work or be unemployed.
But sdfsf

But using a residential broadband connection for work/business use is against most (if not all) ISPs t&c's, especially if downloading huge amounts of data (think TBs, not GBs). Most ISPs will turn a blind eye to using a residential connection for light/occasional business use but strictly speaking a separate business grade internet connection is required for those working full time from home. Therefore it should be the employer who would need to pay for the separate connection dedicated for work, not the employee. After all, the employer doesn't ask the employee to pay for their connection at the work place do they?

GrumpyDil

If they have been working off a mobile dongle odds are extremely unlikely that we are talking terrabytes of data here. I'm working from home but am using far less data for work that my son is on his Xbox.
OP i have just installed home broadband as I was using  mobile broadband and the speeds dropped to be unsable. My broadband costs are still far less than my travel costs.