Work from home. What does the company provide?

[akescpt]

I'm an Artificial Intelligence Programmer in large scale Data Analytics and Big Data.

damn..wish i could transition partly into that...sounds interesting

i got my desktop and screen. company started contributing to internet this year only.

 

[RonSwanson]

Yap. He is a pretty awesome guy.

Cool. I thought that you worked for a cnut.

 

[Charlie600]

I work for a multinational organisation and was transferred to Belgium a couple of years go.

Following the onset of lockdown during Feb last year, we were provided with a docking station for our Thinkpads, Logitech HD Webcam, Jabra Evolve 2 wireless headphones, monitor and the obligatory keyboard and mouse as well. The best part was however 400 euros paid out to offset the "increase in coffee and electricity utilisation" which was pretty cool, whilst we also received flowers, letters from the regional LT as well as fruit baskets etc. every quarter to keep the morale going.

Home internet is also fully paid for although that was already a standard employee benefit prior to Covid (approximately 70 euros per months for an uncapped & unshaped 1 Gigabit line).

Mobile subscription is also covered by the company (around 60 euros per month) and includes unlimited data and dialling in the EU, together with 600 minutes per month to South Africa etc.

I have a company car so not winning or losing anything due to not commuting anymore however, the working days are much longer than before albeit the flexibility is much greater as well (although the pressure and pace is much more intense than it ever was in SA).

 

[Cius]

At the start of lockdown last year March we could take home our skype phones, a spare screen, etc.

This year they provided a nice power bank/UPS for load shedding.

They have announced they will provide chairs, and subsidized internet but that has yet to materialize. Awaiting that anxiously.

 

[RedViking]

Cool. I thought that you worked for a cnut.

Depends if he had coffee yet or not, or how much issues the adult babies have .

 

[akescpt]

I work for a multinational organisation and was transferred to Belgium a couple of years go.

Following the onset of lockdown during Feb last year, we were provided with a docking station for our Thinkpads, Logitech HD Webcam, Jabra Evolve 2 wireless headphones, monitor and the obligatory keyboard and mouse as well. The best part was however 400 euros paid out to offset the "increase in coffee and electricity utilisation" which was pretty cool, whilst we also received flowers, letters from the regional LT as well as fruit baskets etc. every quarter to keep the morale going.

Home internet is also fully paid for although that was already a standard employee benefit prior to Covid (approximately 70 euros per months for an uncapped & unshaped 1 Gigabit line).

Mobile subscription is also covered by the company (around 60 euros per month) and includes unlimited data and dialling in the EU, together with 600 minutes per month to South Africa etc.

I have a company car so not winning or losing anything due to not commuting anymore however, the working days are much longer than before albeit the flexibility is much greater as well (although the pressure and pace is much more intense than it ever was in SA).

fokkit outjie. dis heerlik

 

[Claymore]

If you were provided with a Meraki then I'm fairly certain we have the same employer

It is indeed a Meraki. I was based in Sandton, had 2+ hours of commute every day. The Meraki makes things so much easier than logging in with VPN every time.

 

[chrisc]

Company gave my daughter a new laptop (MacBook Pro), a 21" screen, a voucher to go and buy a chair and she was told to divert the monthly internet fee to the company

Her husband is an architect, they gave him a desk from the office but he had to take it home (luckily it came apart). But he is a partner in the business so just submits expenses

 

[gboy]

The only thing I miss, it the ability to bounce quick ideas off people. The it's a bit irrational to start a video call, or voice. Then schedule on calendar, because the guy is pooping or something. By that time, the idea has dissolved.

I just got a new laptop, claimed half of it, so it's "mine" and some cash to buy a new screen, keyboard, mouse, and chair. So not to annoyed.

 

[Claymore]

The only thing I miss, it the ability to bounce quick ideas off people. The it's a bit irrational to start a video call, or voice. Then schedule on calendar, because the guy is pooping or something. By that time, the idea has dissolved.

Agreed. I pretty much communicate now with my team, and with those people I need to work with. I can't brainstorm with random colleagues from other teams at the coffee kiosk anymore.

 

[Barbarian Conan]

talking about savings, don't forget about the money not spent buying snacks from the canteen or vending machines at the office.

My coffee and electricity bill definitely went up substantially.
We also had fresh fruit at the office.

 

[Barbarian Conan]

Just a chair and a monitor. Nothing else.

I have to pay for my own internet 50mbps minimum speed plus uncapped avail. By running imports and updates I use about 200gb of data pm just for work.

I have a laptop thats really the slowest i5 possible with barely any ram. My warranty has expired and I was told to use my personal laptop should that break.

I dont save on petrol as I really stay 5km away from my work. Have to pay for my own coffee, tea, electricity.

And now they want me to work from 7am till 7pm daily, even though my hours is from 8-4h30. And they demand me to take leave as they dont want their leave balances messed up, but I must take leave, and still be avail all day for work, and must check data imports etc. So I have told them i dont see the need for leave.

Now they want me to come back 4 days a week, but when i get home i must still work till 8pm

To me that sounds like new job time.

 

[Barbarian Conan]

We could borrow "our" stuff from the office. I only took the docking station (and of course the laptop) as I have more monitors than I know what to do with already.
We got a R300 increase in our internet allowance to R600, and we could get a UPS if we wanted one, which I definitely did.

 

[Creag]

Nil. Niks. Lutho. Nada.

 

[Creag]

Apart from the laptop, everything else I supply. No allowance for my internet, office space, coffee, electricity, etc.

But should my company give me something for my costs? They say I save on travelling costs.

 

[Creag]

There is no contribution or allowance towards my costs of working remotely. But... I am told I save on the commute and get flexibility of hours I work.

 

[Quintrix]

Looking at the range of answers and experiences and reading articles covering this topic, I'm left with the question: Do the writers speak to affected staff or do they only get their answers from the spokespersons? Sometimes only the spokesperson is quoted.

Also just wondering if the transition is always as smooth an experience and how will this affect companies in future that does not get the transition right. This is a boat that suddenly entered the harbor and not everybody likes cruising

Seeing that this is the flavor of the pandemic season, more articles in this regard would be interesting
@rpm

 

[akescpt]

My coffee and electricity bill definitely went up substantially.
We also had fresh fruit at the office.

And the time taken to make the food. Taking a stroll and buying something you could switch off as well. Decent break then you can continue.

Miss that.

 

[Kornhub]

I was given R1k towards a monitor and R2k towards a chair.

Sweet. Did you go to the casino and try to triple it ?

 

[The Voice]

Nothing.