You had to pay for your computer...and the company is getting free use of it.
If it is okay, then it should be okay with them if you use the company car for personal use..same thing right?
And the company doesn't have to pony up for 200,000 computers...or their software...or the eventual upgrades.
This line of "it good for you" comes from the same people who said "Trust us...your new cubical is better than your old office". ;<)
Sorry, I'm not as cynical as you are.
I find value in the exchange. My computer will wear out no faster if it is sitting on the same desk as a work computer and being used occasionally through the day for personal access versus sitting on the desk by itself and being used for personal access and work access. The wear and tear on my computer is much less than the wear and tear on my car caused by commuting every day plus savings on gas and lunches. Does your employer compensate you for driving your personal car to your work location each day as part of your regular commute? No? You mean you bought the car and are letting the employer get free use of it when they have you drive to work??
Do they pay for your lunch? You do get hungry while working for THEM, don't you? Why should you pay for that food energy they get free use of?
I actually look for ways for my company(employer) to save money, improve operations, retain/grow customers, increase revenues, etc. They compensate me handsomely and I still believe their success leads to my success despite almost being laid off 2 months ago.
In 25 years, I've never had an office, I've always had a cubicle, now my office at home is my office. Since 1992, I haven't had a local supervisor. They trust me to do my assigned job without supervision. I value that part of the equation, too.
Is it OK to use a company car for personal use? No, but that has to do with IRS rules and applies in many similar ways to you using a company asset for personal use even if YOU own the company. If you want to write it off 100%, it needs to be 100% company use. If you use a portion of it, you can't write it off 100%.
Just a simple question...what does it cost you in dollars and cents to have the technology?
Its a question that every successful business has to ask and answer.
The companies that offer you the lure of technology in whatever form know exactly their expenses...and calculate that they can make a significant profit from those who will take the bait.
So I don't pay for technology that saves me time, money or I find some other value in because some other company is making a (significant) profit?
So if that technology allows me to offer technology that allows me to make a (significant) profit on something I sell that people find value in, I shouldn't do it?
I find value in the exchange. My computer will wear out no faster if it is sitting on the same desk as a work computer and being used occasionally through the day for personal access versus sitting on the desk by itself and being used for personal access and work access. The wear and tear on my computer is much less than the wear and tear on my car caused by commuting every day plus savings on gas and lunches. Does your employer compensate you for driving your personal car to your work location each day as part of your regular commute? No? You mean you bought the car and are letting the employer get free use of it when they have you drive to work??
Do they pay for your lunch? You do get hungry while working for THEM, don't you? Why should you pay for that food energy they get free use of?
I actually look for ways for my company(employer) to save money, improve operations, retain/grow customers, increase revenues, etc. They compensate me handsomely and I still believe their success leads to my success despite almost being laid off 2 months ago.
In 25 years, I've never had an office, I've always had a cubicle, now my office at home is my office. Since 1992, I haven't had a local supervisor. They trust me to do my assigned job without supervision. I value that part of the equation, too.
Is it OK to use a company car for personal use? No, but that has to do with IRS rules and applies in many similar ways to you using a company asset for personal use even if YOU own the company. If you want to write it off 100%, it needs to be 100% company use. If you use a portion of it, you can't write it off 100%.
If you heck with the IRS, they will point out that your computer has value and depreciates...along with all the other office related stuff. Who takes that cost and deduction counts.
It is all about money when companies want to go virtual and cloud.
So I don't pay for technology that saves me time, money or I find some other value in because some other company is making a (significant) profit?
So if that technology allows me to offer technology that allows me to make a (significant) profit on something I sell that people find value in, I shouldn't do it?
I'm very confused about all this.
If you can't measure it, then one doesn't know what you have.
Putting a dollar and cent number on the "convenience" many times highlights whether or not it is really worth it...and sometimes it is and many times it is not.
As I said, you forgot to mention how much this cost in dollars and cents.
I am not having technology...nor do I deny others the use of it..I just acknowledge that there IS a cost.
So in your case...have you tallied up the cost for you?
Let's see, have I tallied up the cost....ok
Let's tackle how my mean old employer is making me use my computer to acces my virtual desktop so I can work from home.
Let's see, we can either take my gas costs to drive to work, well, there are other costs, so let's use the IRS mileage rate of $.24 (variable costs) x 800 miles per month = $192 for auto expenses I DON'T have to spend
so far , it's cost me negative $192/month to work from home.
Now, there's that 3 year old Mac Mini I'm using - let's say $1200 / 36 month/ 30 days per month/16 hours per day = so that's 7 cents per usable hour * 160 hours per month = $11.2
-192 + 11.2 = -180.2
I'll be generous, let's call it $20 per month for electricity (that's high but what the heck!)
-180.20 + 20 = -160.20
Don't need to buy lunches but I could pack my lunch so that's a wash. There are obvious savings on the clothing budget but hat's too hard to calculate.
Let's see, I don't need to drive an hour each way, so that's either 2 extra hours of work or two extra hours of free time. We'll use 1/2 pay rate for that (my leisure rate) and I'll split 1/2 with extra work and 1/2 with free time - 20 hours * $25 = $500
-160.20 + (-500) = -660.20
I'm probably forgetting something but, yes, I have tallied up the costs. It looks like it will cost me $660.20 per month to NOT use my own PC and to drive into the office. Or looking at it the other way, I can use my own PC and work from home and save $660 a month in time and/or ACTUAL money.
Even if you throw out the $ value of my time and add in the cost of my personal cell pone (not sure why), I still save $80 a month by using my PC. In one year, I can buy another PC!
I'm sure I've figured this incorrectly.
Plus I can be home when my daughter gets home from school, have lunch with my wife, take my dog for a walk for breaks and wear a bathrobe and bunny slippers if I want to! What is the COST for any of those??
Let's tackle how my mean old employer is making me use my computer ..
I have not followed this thread closely, but really that statement makes me think you guys are doing something wrong.
I have never bought a PC or laptop in my life. The last computer I bought for myself was an Atari ST520 !
Why would I?
Somebody want's me to do something they provide the tools. Even if they send me home to do the work.
Now I have a house full of old laptops and PC's.
What to do with them all?
Generally, most accountants (and IRS in many countries) consider 4 years to be the normal depreciation time for a computer.
Not that a mini only lasts for 4 years...
(Mine's a first Intel gen, just a bit upgraded; SSD, 2GB RAM, 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo instead of 1.66GHz Core Duo. Just needs a coat of British Racing Green... )
Working in your underwear, or even go commando... Priceless...
Yeah, I can use the office's Remote Office system... Full access to any server or PC I want... Even logged in from a netcafe in Thailand...
(I have better access than my boss. Of course, he doesn't need the same access as I do)
leaving a message of 'today it's sunny, the heat is ON and the girls are beautiful' on the IT department's group chat; Priceless!
(Especially since the timezone difference let me sleep late, have a leisurely breakfast and still be in and out of the servers before anyone at the office gets to work in the morning... )
The iPhone my office gave me give me not only access to the office email wherever I am, but also the complete contact list.
And when I use the Remotte Office system, the auth code is sent as an SMS to the iPhone.
(Used to have a RSA thingamajig on my keychain before. )
Only nag is that I'm not allowed to use any cloud services with the iPhone or other devices owned by the office.
For BYOD devices, we insist that users sign a paper stating that they accept that my organisation can remotely reset the device.(in case it gets nicked)
There's also requirements of device locks and passwords.
(We have 3 wireless networks at the office; Guest - open to everyone who gets the 'secret word', Mobile - for BYOD devices, and 'Wireless' for PCs belonging to the office. Any BYOD devices are logged in with their regular username/password, so if one of those go missing, someone could do some damage. Therefore the locks and remote kill )
On office portables, we run a program 'Cisco AnyConnect' which not only give us 'seamless' transition from cabled to wireless network at the office, but if we're bringing the portable out of the office and connect it to an open network, it'll set up a VPN tunnel to the office with just a few clicks.
(The users are so 'on the net' that not only do they get their regular homeshares, but if need be, our Helldesk can use their Remote Control SW to help them... )
Note that my organisation has over 6000 employees, around 300 locations(from multi-story offices to quite literally a 'box at the roadside') and the IT department counts around 230 people. So we have the budget and manpower to implement something pretty quickly if 'the word' comes down the way it did with WiFi/BYOD/Remote Office.
Comments
Sorry, I'm not as cynical as you are.
I find value in the exchange. My computer will wear out no faster if it is sitting on the same desk as a work computer and being used occasionally through the day for personal access versus sitting on the desk by itself and being used for personal access and work access. The wear and tear on my computer is much less than the wear and tear on my car caused by commuting every day plus savings on gas and lunches. Does your employer compensate you for driving your personal car to your work location each day as part of your regular commute? No? You mean you bought the car and are letting the employer get free use of it when they have you drive to work??
Do they pay for your lunch? You do get hungry while working for THEM, don't you? Why should you pay for that food energy they get free use of?
I actually look for ways for my company(employer) to save money, improve operations, retain/grow customers, increase revenues, etc. They compensate me handsomely and I still believe their success leads to my success despite almost being laid off 2 months ago.
In 25 years, I've never had an office, I've always had a cubicle, now my office at home is my office. Since 1992, I haven't had a local supervisor. They trust me to do my assigned job without supervision. I value that part of the equation, too.
Is it OK to use a company car for personal use? No, but that has to do with IRS rules and applies in many similar ways to you using a company asset for personal use even if YOU own the company. If you want to write it off 100%, it needs to be 100% company use. If you use a portion of it, you can't write it off 100%.
Spend time on this forum with interesting but pointless debates like this one, of course!!
(or festering language wars when they pop up!!)
So I don't pay for technology that saves me time, money or I find some other value in because some other company is making a (significant) profit?
So if that technology allows me to offer technology that allows me to make a (significant) profit on something I sell that people find value in, I shouldn't do it?
I'm very confused about all this.
If you heck with the IRS, they will point out that your computer has value and depreciates...along with all the other office related stuff. Who takes that cost and deduction counts.
It is all about money when companies want to go virtual and cloud.
LOL...I think you got that right! ;<)
If you can't measure it, then one doesn't know what you have.
Putting a dollar and cent number on the "convenience" many times highlights whether or not it is really worth it...and sometimes it is and many times it is not.
Let's see, have I tallied up the cost....ok
Let's tackle how my mean old employer is making me use my computer to acces my virtual desktop so I can work from home.
Let's see, we can either take my gas costs to drive to work, well, there are other costs, so let's use the IRS mileage rate of $.24 (variable costs) x 800 miles per month = $192 for auto expenses I DON'T have to spend
so far , it's cost me negative $192/month to work from home.
Now, there's that 3 year old Mac Mini I'm using - let's say $1200 / 36 month/ 30 days per month/16 hours per day = so that's 7 cents per usable hour * 160 hours per month = $11.2
-192 + 11.2 = -180.2
I'll be generous, let's call it $20 per month for electricity (that's high but what the heck!)
-180.20 + 20 = -160.20
Don't need to buy lunches but I could pack my lunch so that's a wash. There are obvious savings on the clothing budget but hat's too hard to calculate.
Let's see, I don't need to drive an hour each way, so that's either 2 extra hours of work or two extra hours of free time. We'll use 1/2 pay rate for that (my leisure rate) and I'll split 1/2 with extra work and 1/2 with free time - 20 hours * $25 = $500
-160.20 + (-500) = -660.20
I'm probably forgetting something but, yes, I have tallied up the costs. It looks like it will cost me $660.20 per month to NOT use my own PC and to drive into the office. Or looking at it the other way, I can use my own PC and work from home and save $660 a month in time and/or ACTUAL money.
Even if you throw out the $ value of my time and add in the cost of my personal cell pone (not sure why), I still save $80 a month by using my PC. In one year, I can buy another PC!
I'm sure I've figured this incorrectly.
Plus I can be home when my daughter gets home from school, have lunch with my wife, take my dog for a walk for breaks and wear a bathrobe and bunny slippers if I want to! What is the COST for any of those??
I have never bought a PC or laptop in my life. The last computer I bought for myself was an Atari ST520 !
Why would I?
Somebody want's me to do something they provide the tools. Even if they send me home to do the work.
Now I have a house full of old laptops and PC's.
What to do with them all?
Not that a mini only lasts for 4 years...
(Mine's a first Intel gen, just a bit upgraded; SSD, 2GB RAM, 2.16GHz Core 2 Duo instead of 1.66GHz Core Duo. Just needs a coat of British Racing Green... )
Working in your underwear, or even go commando... Priceless...
Yeah, I can use the office's Remote Office system... Full access to any server or PC I want... Even logged in from a netcafe in Thailand...
(I have better access than my boss. Of course, he doesn't need the same access as I do)
leaving a message of 'today it's sunny, the heat is ON and the girls are beautiful' on the IT department's group chat; Priceless!
(Especially since the timezone difference let me sleep late, have a leisurely breakfast and still be in and out of the servers before anyone at the office gets to work in the morning... )
The iPhone my office gave me give me not only access to the office email wherever I am, but also the complete contact list.
And when I use the Remotte Office system, the auth code is sent as an SMS to the iPhone.
(Used to have a RSA thingamajig on my keychain before. )
Only nag is that I'm not allowed to use any cloud services with the iPhone or other devices owned by the office.
For BYOD devices, we insist that users sign a paper stating that they accept that my organisation can remotely reset the device.(in case it gets nicked)
There's also requirements of device locks and passwords.
(We have 3 wireless networks at the office; Guest - open to everyone who gets the 'secret word', Mobile - for BYOD devices, and 'Wireless' for PCs belonging to the office. Any BYOD devices are logged in with their regular username/password, so if one of those go missing, someone could do some damage. Therefore the locks and remote kill )
On office portables, we run a program 'Cisco AnyConnect' which not only give us 'seamless' transition from cabled to wireless network at the office, but if we're bringing the portable out of the office and connect it to an open network, it'll set up a VPN tunnel to the office with just a few clicks.
(The users are so 'on the net' that not only do they get their regular homeshares, but if need be, our Helldesk can use their Remote Control SW to help them... )
Note that my organisation has over 6000 employees, around 300 locations(from multi-story offices to quite literally a 'box at the roadside') and the IT department counts around 230 people. So we have the budget and manpower to implement something pretty quickly if 'the word' comes down the way it did with WiFi/BYOD/Remote Office.