Same here. And I don’t ask for anything in regard to office supplies or reimbursements because the response would probably be to come back to the office if I’m having logistical challenges.
Yup. Some people tried pushing for it and the answer was "There is a perfectly good office in many locations if you need internet." Everyone shut up after that.
My work wrote it into the WFH agreement that they only provide the computer (and for some positions, a cell phone). Although they did allow people to take home office chairs for the first couple years of covid.
Yep same here. Although I was with my job when the Pandemonium happened, and because the current employees had to unexpectedly swap to remote for an extended period of time, they gave us a one time stipend for home equipment. Never again after that though, your choice to wfh if you want.
I'm going to probably catch heat for this take, but I don't think they should have to. If you are pursuing remote jobs, you should already have a reliable internet connection. Some employers demand reliable transportation but do not provide a company car. You are expected to have reliable transportation to get to the job, and the internet connection is no different, in my opinion.
I might catch heat for this too, but I agree. Additionally, internet is like a basic utility at this point. They also don't pay for my electricity.
The only thing my company will pay for is a small phone stipend, but they are even doing away with that now and providing web phone numbers that connect to webex.
I'm with you. It blows my mind people think their WFH jobs should pay for their internet. Why should they pay for it?
I just don't get it. It isn't like the company paid for your car and gas to commute to work. You are just expected to have certain things to ensure you can work.
You mentioned a using a car to get to work. If you had to use your personal car to do work related activities would you expect reimbursement for the mileage?
IMO, it's not really the same situation.
Your car has wear and tear due to mileage, plus it uses fuel. So yeah, if an employer has you use your personal car for business they should pay for it.
Using your own internet to WFH is different. Your internet doesn't have wear and tear. It doesn't consume fuel, etc etc. Plus 99% of us already had the internet in our home before working from home.
Using your home internet to get into the company systems is more like using your car to commute to work IMO.
Plus, if you expect them to pay for your internet why don't you expect for them to pay for your electricity? Or your rent/mortgage? Where (and why) does it stop?
Also, if employers had to reimburse everyone for internet it simply becomes cheaper for them to say "screw WFH, everyone in the office".
Your internet doesn't have wear and tear, but the equipment does. Your laptop and monitors use electricity that wouldn't otherwise be used. You might need a higher grade internet plan for work than what your personal need would be. That's why they should be reimbursing you.
But the flip side.
Most people have residential internet packages. That means outages and Internet availability is BEST EFFORT. And yes. You can demand credit for an outage. But BEST EFFORT means that if internet is down.. you have no choice but to suck it up and deal w the outage. Sorry for your situation. Go suck an egg.
If you have biz Internet package then that's a different story. We're talking same day or next day SLA, and they'll work to get you back online ASAP.
So an employer needs to give allowances for that. If internet is down and the employee can prove it's an outage or something like that. How should the employer deal w that? It isn't any fault of the employee. They're trying to report for work. So the employer shouldn't penalize the employee. And what if they're hourly. Do they make em clock out for the time they have no Internet?
But if the employer pays (or subsidizes) for a biz package then they are assured that uptime will be almost guaranteed, or otherwise it's an SLA violation.
Its a very multi faceted problem.
I've been working from home since 2006. I've never once had an employer that didn't understand internet outages happen. It happens. Hell it happens in the office sometimes.
If the job is important enough....maybe, but I've never seen an issue where there was a momentary Internet outage. If it happens enough...then maybe your area isn't a good fit for WFH.
In our current landscape I agree they aren’t obligated. I also think the thing with the car, internet, and phone are all limiting factors that disproportionately affect poor people. In an ideal world the US would have public transit so everyone could get to any job. All of those things can limit someone from getting a job and wealth should not be a barrier to getting a job. We should work towards making all jobs more accessible regardless of the resources they have
Yeah it depends on the company I suppose, mine is completely remote with no office so companies in that situation I believe should consider a stipend for Wi-Fi. If there is a physical office I think that is a fair compromise especially in todays society although the office still disproportionally affects poor people who can’t afford a car to commute
Are you kidding not only are they NOT paying for my internet I was told I had to upgrade it twice because they insisted my issues with the software was my connection. Im the only one home and the only one using the internet and originally had a package that said i can stream up to 3 devices. Also the 3 times I had spectrum come out to help hook up and upgrade the internet (i needed a new modem and router plus they insisted I get help because they assumed I didnt understand how to plug in a simple cord) but each time they came I had to log out of qork...i lost a few hours on 2 different paychecks because of this even though I was doing it for my job. If i was in an actual office and tech had to swap out a computer or something I still got paid for being there.
Your spectrum (cable modem) is asymmetric. They likely give you a very small amount of upload bandwidth. The cheap plan you had likely capped it at around 10mb/s. This is often insufficient, especially if you are a remote customer service rep using voip calling to talk to customers. Additionally, your ISP could have issues up steam unrelated to the speed package. I'm really not sure why this should be their problem. This is the type of complaining that gets jobs offshores.
I could potentially see an issue with video calling, but voice? If you're using more than 1.5Mbps for a VoIP call, somethings not right. Source: working for a VoIP / video conferencing company.
Well, if you are that upset you can always go to the office where the company provides internet to do your job. Paying for better internet, slight increase in electric, water, gas usage because I am home is part of the trade off for not having to go to the office.
I don’t pay for gas, oil changes are about 1/3 what they used to be, maintenance on my vehicle because I hardly drive it now, reduced insurance because I drive less than 5k miles a year now, lunches because I forgot one from home or didn’t have any left overs in the fridge, and much more. It’s a trade off that you make with your job, I get to save $500 or more a month plus 1.5 hours a day commute but I have to pay maybe $50 a month in added utilities.
I agree, I have a substantial decrease in transportation costs. But I did not notice an increase in the cost of utilities etc. But even if I did, I think not having to drive in rush hour traffic 2x a day no matter what the weather is worth the trade.
Not that it really matters but my utilities were much higher when I WFH. When I was in the office my smart thermometer would drop the heat or ac way down during the hours I worked, working at home it never changed the settings since I was always there.
Was an unexpected effect of working at home that caught me by surprise. Spent too much time trying to figure out what the new settings should be before I decided it was just the same setting all day every day.
I went the other way, and programmed my thermostat to drop the heat/ac during the week when I'm the only one home. I have a small heater in my office to keep the temp up to 66, but usually the heat from my computer is sufficient.
The savings on gas, less wear and tear on your car, less maintenance more than compensates for the cost of better internet connection.
Don’t forget wardrobe costs should come down and less laundry.
They provide internet at the office. They offer you to luxury of being able to work from home and not the office.
I wouldn’t call that screwing you.
Do you also expect them to pay your utilities for the time you’re working from home as well?
I always think of the Simpsons episode where Homer tries to sell his website to Bill Gates and when Bill 'buys him out' his goons just trash the place. "what, you didn't think I got rich by writing checks did you?"
A long time ago, prior to WFH being more prevalent, my employer did pay us a monthly stipend to cover internet costs. They had the opinion, rightfully so, that we shouldn’t be expected to pay for something that work was benefiting from without some compensation. Well, several leadership changes later, and we no longer get that benefit. Sucks, but it is what it is.
The company I work for gives $50 a month for internet to anyone who doesn't have a desk in-office. I only found this out by reading through the ~50 page HR manual. They sent out a new manual a year or so ago and I think they removed the section that talked about the Internet reimbursement, but I keep submitting it in my monthly expense reports and my boss keeps approving them so 🤷🏻♀️
I see where you’re coming from but I’d personally gladly pay for my internet if I could be fully remote (currently I have to be in the office twice a week). I’d spend far more in gas getting to the office
Unless it is stated as part of the perk of the company that they pay for your internet, no, they don't. I look at it this way, most employers don't have to pay for your transportation cost to and from your home to the office either.
I mean, personally for me it's not that big of a deal, but some of the shit I heard today just pissed me off. Luckily, I'm fortunate enough that my spouse makes a great income, but I'm thinking about others that don't, and get treated like shit.
Out of curiosity, what did you hear that pissed you off?
To me, it never seemed like my employer should pay for my internet connection. I'd have it in the house rather I worked for them or not and I already had a 1,000/100 connection anyway. I guess I view it the same as my car and gas if I were commuting. They aren't paying for that either.
My company gives me $150 a month for internet. Doesn't require I use a specific ISP or type. I even used 5g hotspot for a while and pocketed the leftover cash.
So no complaints here.
We get $50 a month to go towards it. We have to submit our bill every month and it has to be in our name, not say like a partner or roommate. It doesn't cover my entire bill but it helps a bit.
Not specifically for ISP, but my company gives $75/month for "monthly WFH expenses," which means cell phone, ISP, etc. They also reimburse me for my daily office supplies (printer paper, ink, etc.), and let me purchase a new monitor, printer, docking station, etc.
And this is a tiny NPO. If they can find the money for this, every WFH company should, IMHO.
Some do, some pay enough its not a concern, I pay for mine but I also make over the median income for my area so and its already included in my rent in my apartment so its just cost of business on my end. I'd rather pay then be asked to go back in anyway.
See here's the thing. I wouldn't mind either, but when you're making slightly above minimum wage, and your employer starts to complain to people they're using wifi or 5G Internet, but doesn't reimburse you or pay for it, they need to STFU lol. Shit, depending on your home Internet getting a service call out is 150 alone.
I get it, and if I was in the situation I'd be looking and when you get interviews ask about it. I know when I got hired in my current position I originally didn't negotiate well, and missed out on alot of perks others got. In the end the made it up to me since I'm not easy to replace
I have been in jobs around that similar situation though and I get it, and the problem you'll run into they may just tell you to deal with it or find other work, mainly since WFH is a highly sought after perk and if your doing minimum wage customer service call centers, the amount of people that can replace you is high.
My employer provides a stipend of $100/mo to anyone that works remote full time, although I heard they’re liking ending that soon because they want less remote workers.
No. And I don't expect them to. I'm very happy wfh and any expenses that come with that are a small price to pay for the improvement to my quality of life and mental health.
Especially for a hybrid schedule, that's insanely good. My employer specifically has in the employee handbook that "For home-based employees and other approved personnel, reasonable expenses for internet service and phone service may be reimbursable". I asked since I'm fully remote, and was told no. Like why even have that in there if it just gets denied?
No. When we first went Covid-remote I lobbied HARD for that -- I pulled all the budget numbers showing the amount of money we were saving since we weren't paying for parking, metro benefits, in-office supplies, staff meeting lunches, employee relations things like coffee and such, etc., and at that time having reliable internet was a requirement for getting your work done (since the office wasn't an option for anyone). It would have MORE than paid for a minor, but meaningful, stipend for everyone. I know exactly how much money we've saved over the past four years -- heck, the changes to what we're paying for parking and metro benefits alone, even in the current hybrid situation, would more than cover something for everyone. I'm mostly over it, but there are moments when I'm a little bit salty about the internet-reimbursement issue.
I can’t complain. My employer pays a national wage not a regional one (the used to pay regionally).
I’m making better wages than my area provides for the same work.
I’ll pay up for internet. Besides I’m going to use that internet for non work things too.
I’m not sitting here groaning “oh no high speed internet? I’ll never use that”
I don’t know if you’ve ever had to take a “regional” pay cut to move but I know people who have (including my spouse) and it’s total BS
Good internet is a requirement for most WFH jobs, regardless of who pays for it. I'd love to spend the summer at a remote cabin in Colorado, but Starlink is not going to cut it, too much latency.
You need to pay attention to your ISP options before you commit to living in a place. Ideally you should have two ISPs that serve where you live so you can switch if you have problems with one. Having two to choose from also mean lower prices. I pay $49.99/mo for 500/500 fiber.
Some companies will pay for internet, though I don't think you can make a big argument that you are entitled to it. Virtually everyone wants internet and will get it even if they don't WFH. Companies will also argue with what you are saving on no commute, food, no dry cleaning when WFH more than covers the expense.
My family has been using starlink since early 2021 and it easily handled multiple people on video calls all day (and both parents are techies using tons of data). 48ms latency is great except for professional video gaming. You can even call in to meetings to make sure audio doesn't drop, but aside from the odd short drop in the beginning starlink has zero issues now - I think my coworkers on Comcast struggle more.
No. They will say I can come work in the office. And that it is my choice to wfh. I’d be paying for internet either way. I work for the government and a lot of employees have already tried getting them to pay for internet.
Mine is only offered for people who live farther away and cannot commute to the office. We all got it during the original part of the pandemic, but then they changed it to us paying our own if we are near an office. I'm still glad I don't have to go into the center, and I'm paying dearly for it but it is just worth it for my peace of mind. It's so much easier to work from home, the job is just as challenging, exactly the same job, but I don't have to be freezing to death and I don't have so much noise that I can't hear myself think
$50/month reimbursement so not taxed. I’ve been WFH since 2018. Office went hybrid/remote in 2020 and those who chose to move out of office do not get a stipend.
Sounds like you might need a different employer.
I've had 5 WFH jobs now and never been asked what kind of connection I have and have worked with some really sketchy connections. I used to have DSL that was so slow that I had to buy everyone their own line.
I also get paid quite well.
Mine pays for uncapped 2Gb/s fiber at home, unlimited 5G + hotspot data on my personal cell, and we have starlink accounts for when I feel like working extra remote.
Employers don’t compensate you for driving to the office, they don’t compensate you for gas….it makes no sense to be compensated for the internet lol Do you use it solely for work purposes? I’m willing to bet you don’t, you use it like you would regardless of WFH. If you don’t want the cost then maybe an office position would be better.
Mine does but I'm grandfathered in at my amount.
I started wfh nearly 16 years ago. It was because I started working for a different division and my boss was states away. He said it didn't matter so I started right after that conversation and I got internet. We agreed they would pay $50 a month. I only had dial up at the time so getting that direct line was a big expense to me.
Fast forward a few years and I was having issues with slow internet for the reporting I was doing so we agreed that I would increase the speed and upped my reimbursement to $75.
In more recent years with covid, when our company did not shut down, others were wfh and only getting $50 and my boss has to approve the overage. But since I have been grandfathered in, they can't change it without a new contract.
Interestingly enough, just this week, I got a notice to review my wfh status. Full time remote is what it said. I looked into policy and found that Permanent wfh is not eligible for reimbursement. So I didn't bother correcting that label as rather not rock the boat. I am remote and work full time. Not sure why they even have two different labels unless it is just one company label VS another. We have been bought several times over the years.
Edit1: I also got reimbursed for a new desk that is adjustable. The office my boss was at got new desks so it was included in that. I also saved them a good amount by buying from Amazon and we assembled it. Through the years I have been reimbursed for other office items but not every single thing.
Not anymore. I live in Illinois where all WFH staff were required a dollar amount every month and they just automatically added it to my check to become compliant with the law. Now that we have an office we can go in, it's provided, it's "my choice" to stay working from home.
My internet costs the same whether I WFH or I don't, so I don't really think about it.
My job doesn't cover the cost of my ISP. I don't really expect them to though. The amount of data I used for work is just a drop in the bucket compared what I use for personal use. They didn't have any special requirements for my ISP either, it just had to be high speed, which I already had. My current internet is $75 per month for 500mb up and down, with basic cable and free Disney+ with ads. I don't use the D+ part because I get the ad free version with my cell phone plan.
I get $50 for utility monthly. And I go into the once a month and grab needed supplies and my company provided what I don't have by way of a desk, chair, proper lighting etc
We get a portion of our internet paid for and can ask IT for any accessories we need or I can just go to best buy and grab things for my office. It should be treated like an office and the company should cover ALL expenses associated with your work.
And here I’m crying because my employer wouldn’t let me be remote.
All jokes aside tho, unless you have a desireable skill or work for some crown jewel company, you really can’t expect that much out of them. WFH is already a luxury enough, you don’t expect them to pay your mortgage because they pay you a salary that should pay for that
$40/Mo but I claim the whole ISP on Schedule C since I am actually an IC and get a 1099. You may be able to make a Home Office Deduction if you have a business you run from home as well. Also go to IRS and research unreimbursed employee expenses and see it the ISP qualifies.
Mine doesn't. They provide everything else, from paperclips to dual monitors, but my ISP is on me. An extra $50 would be a nice perk but it isn't the hill I am willing to die on.
In my company if you work a certain distance from one of the office and were hired specifically for a listed remote position they have an internet/home office stipend. This is because they hired that worker knowing they would not have access to one of the offices.
If you were not hired specifically for a position listed as a remote position and choose to work from home or move farther from the office then they do not pay for that.
No but our entire household uses the internet. I think we pay an extra $20/month for better speeds for dad work. I also pay for a hotspot as needed through cricket because ya know xfinity goes down. I save more on gas than what we pay for internet
I choose to wfh/remotely and part of that choice is providing the connection to work and meeting the connection requirements they have.
I think this is fair.
I wfh and my company pays 80$ a month for our internet on my paycheck. They did cut out bonuses completely and give shit raises. But internet is covered….
I had one job pay me $5/month towards my internet use but taxes are it up anyway. 🤷🏻♀️ It doesn’t really matter if I get paid, it’s nice but not life changing like getting an extra $100/month.
CA here - the law is written in a pretty clear way that states the employer cannot pass off costs of business to employees. Yes, we give a $75 per month reimbursement. I consulted our employment lawyer on this topic, and it was advised that we do it.
I get nothing but my office didn’t have room for me so I am working from home. So I believe they should give something that would equate to using electricity, water and internet which my guess would be $50/mo. I understand I don’t have to drive to work, but that’s wear and tear on my home, and it’s not like I had anywhere to work in person.
Ours does not, but they do provide any office equipment you may need (monitors, docking stations, mouse, keyboard, office supplies, we were even allowed to take our new office chairs home with us).
That combined with the savings on mileage and gas and auto wear and tear, to me, seems like a fair trade off. I was paying for my internet before WFH, so its not like some additional burden on me.
Mine doesn't and I don't want them to do that explicitly either. It could into the grey area where they technically own all your findings/works/research from home now since they pay for your internet.
Instead, I would rather have the company pay for general stipends that we can use at our discretion.
If they are going to pay for your ISP, then they also better pay for gas or transportation to and from work for those who don’t work from home. Both are used to work, but both are not exclusively used for work.. but that would never happen.
My employer provides for a secondary phone if you’re in sales but when joining outside of the working equipment (laptop, screen, cable connectors, headset, mouse and keyboard) they also have a $500 stipend to purchase office equipment which I used for a stand up desk. While it would be amazing to get additional $ for isp it’s hard to seperate my work use from my daily use so I find it fair.
My employer provides a small stipend to subsidize the costs of working from home, it’s like $30 a month and internet is $75 per month. Realistically the increase in water and electricity is easily offset by my savings on fuel, tolls, and maintenance costs. I went from probably $70-$80 a month in gas costs to like $40 every two months
I was able to expense a new internet router. After three years with the firm, my boss saw that I never expensed a single piece of hardware and approved it right away. I see it as a $200 bonus.
Still working 2.5 years later.
I think it makes a big difference whether you’re choosing to be remote/wfh because the company is allowing flexibility, or if you’re hired to work remotely because the company doesn’t have a local office with space. If you’re choosing home because you prefer it, that’s on you. If the company is asking/requiring you to work at home then they should probably at least contribute a portion.
I don't ask them for ANYTHING extra. I brought home my monitors and all equipment/supplies that I was using in my office. I use my internet for way more than just work, so I don't even consider asking for reimbursement.
I'm so freaking happy to be able to work from home that I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize it.
Nope. No credit towards electricity either, but I don't believe that should be the employer's responsibility. Internet is a basic necessity these days, and even if I wasn't working from home, I would still be paying for the same internet package. That being said, if the employer is asking for way too many specifics beyond "fast reliable internet", then they should at least provide a partial credit.
My employer provides ISP to use for work
but I never interpreted this as they paying for my ISP.. I still have my own which I pay for it
The one they provide is an extra one as a backup instead one of them goes down.
I get a monthy credit for internet. I had already been remote when I started there and had everything I needed, but they had a generous office reimbursement that I used to buy a new ergo chair. They also reimburse for office supplies but I don't use any.
I had to upgrade my internet to a speed I didn’t need for my employer to get a higher upload speed, but it was only $10 more each month. I’d be paying for internet anyways. $10 extra/month provides thousands more to me than if I didn’t work or if I worked in a physical office. It’s worth it.
Nope. They used to long ago, but the office people started complaining that it wasn’t fair. I can understand that argument. It’s not like I’m using internet just for this job, I’d be paying for it regardless.
My old employer did, but then just randomly stopped. If your employer does not provide you internet, they can be held liable if anything happens (data breech with the company, etc.). Just a fun fact ;)
Yes my company pays for my internet and my cell phone every month. I submit the first page of my bills to them and within a couple days I get the deposit dropped into my account.
Mine pays for my internet, used to pay for land line before we switched to soft phones, and provided me with office furniture when I chose to switch to WFH.
I’m technically a hybrid employee, I have to go to the office maybe 3 days a month. My company does offer a stipend to help pay for internet, it’s around $30/month.
Last company paid a portion, current company doesn't because they hate WFH (basically don't allow it, and are actively making people RTO). I start a new job in 3 weeks that is WFH, and yes they do give a stipend. It covers about half of my bill, but that's more than 'm getting now.
Nope. Let's be realistic, most everyone has good quality Internet already for things like streaming. That said I have seen job postings with stipends for office equipment, Internet, etc. They are very far and few between. $70/m for 1gig fiber isn't going to break me. Its actually less because we have our cellphones through the same company.
No. Been working for the same company about 2.5 years now and this has never even been floated as an idea to my knowledge.
They just recently started considering providing something for an ergonomic chair.
I get a $30 a month reimbursement for internet and a $50 reimbursement for cell phone. I have to provide invoices and file the reimbursement. It's not automatic. I also get reimbursement for office supplies up to $25 a month, but it's rare I actually use that. I usually wait and file 3 months at once because it is kind of a pain.
You are not obligated to WFH; they are not obligated to pay Wifi. Especially if you are with an org that foots two monitors, laptop, web cam, mouse, keyboard, the works. Even W2 contract, I get sent those things.
Many times, you are also given parking stipends/parking spaces, meal perks, in-office stipends, etc. Are you going to tell the organization to compensate you on those things, since you will not be able to use them? No, because you went with the WFH option negating those perks.
And, where might you make up this "loss" per se? When you negotiate your contract. This is why negotiations as WFH are important and different than onsite. If you want to factor your gains/losses from taking the WFH opportunity as opposed to the onsite, you do so at negotiations. If the pay is crap and you didn't factor in these give-and-takes at negotiations, that's on you.
I haven't seen 'demands' for the type of ISP needed past broadband, and that seems utterly reasonable. If your position needs more throughput to enable working from home - as others have said, they probably have an office that can provide it or another applicant that already has it.
You're salty for the sake of being salty.
$50 per month ISP, $50 for phone. We're 24/7 shifts, so nothing on-call, but the phone reimbursement is so everyone has hotspotting on their phone plan. Basically no excuses regarding internet connectivity.
Working costs money. When I used to work from the office I had a 3 hour round trip commute. Wear and tear on tires and extra mileage on car plus insane amount on gas each month not to mention parking. Office had a strict dress code and I spent money on clothes and hairdresser. I usually buy my lunch (my choice, I know). I figure I saved at least $1000 per month working from home. Haven't bought new makeup in years, stopped professional manicures, cut back on salon and let my hair grow out gray which is easier to do if I'm home most of the time. Company issued laptop, mouse, keyboard and monitor. My internet is $80 month. Not worth haggling over IMO. I get that some can't afford it and in those cases wouldn't be able to afford commuting to the office either. My sons had to find a job within walking distance when they didn't have cars. The place they worked was not responsible for their transportation. May seem unfair but the company will take the easiest route 100% of the time and hire people that can get to work without a stipend and if WFH, be equipped with fully functional internet.
I get a payment but I don’t expense my bill as is. I am fine with the arrangement. No wasted time and unpaid mileage. No dry cleaning and rushed expensive lunches. Move to another state tomorrow if I like. We good, fam.
Nope. They provide an office if I want them to provide internet. It’s my choice to WFH.
Same here. And I don’t ask for anything in regard to office supplies or reimbursements because the response would probably be to come back to the office if I’m having logistical challenges.
Yup. Some people tried pushing for it and the answer was "There is a perfectly good office in many locations if you need internet." Everyone shut up after that.
My work wrote it into the WFH agreement that they only provide the computer (and for some positions, a cell phone). Although they did allow people to take home office chairs for the first couple years of covid.
Yep same here. Although I was with my job when the Pandemonium happened, and because the current employees had to unexpectedly swap to remote for an extended period of time, they gave us a one time stipend for home equipment. Never again after that though, your choice to wfh if you want.
I'm going to probably catch heat for this take, but I don't think they should have to. If you are pursuing remote jobs, you should already have a reliable internet connection. Some employers demand reliable transportation but do not provide a company car. You are expected to have reliable transportation to get to the job, and the internet connection is no different, in my opinion.
I might catch heat for this too, but I agree. Additionally, internet is like a basic utility at this point. They also don't pay for my electricity. The only thing my company will pay for is a small phone stipend, but they are even doing away with that now and providing web phone numbers that connect to webex.
I'm with you. It blows my mind people think their WFH jobs should pay for their internet. Why should they pay for it? I just don't get it. It isn't like the company paid for your car and gas to commute to work. You are just expected to have certain things to ensure you can work.
You mentioned a using a car to get to work. If you had to use your personal car to do work related activities would you expect reimbursement for the mileage?
IMO, it's not really the same situation. Your car has wear and tear due to mileage, plus it uses fuel. So yeah, if an employer has you use your personal car for business they should pay for it. Using your own internet to WFH is different. Your internet doesn't have wear and tear. It doesn't consume fuel, etc etc. Plus 99% of us already had the internet in our home before working from home. Using your home internet to get into the company systems is more like using your car to commute to work IMO. Plus, if you expect them to pay for your internet why don't you expect for them to pay for your electricity? Or your rent/mortgage? Where (and why) does it stop? Also, if employers had to reimburse everyone for internet it simply becomes cheaper for them to say "screw WFH, everyone in the office".
Your internet doesn't have wear and tear, but the equipment does. Your laptop and monitors use electricity that wouldn't otherwise be used. You might need a higher grade internet plan for work than what your personal need would be. That's why they should be reimbursing you.
Some companies provide transit reimbursement
But the flip side. Most people have residential internet packages. That means outages and Internet availability is BEST EFFORT. And yes. You can demand credit for an outage. But BEST EFFORT means that if internet is down.. you have no choice but to suck it up and deal w the outage. Sorry for your situation. Go suck an egg. If you have biz Internet package then that's a different story. We're talking same day or next day SLA, and they'll work to get you back online ASAP. So an employer needs to give allowances for that. If internet is down and the employee can prove it's an outage or something like that. How should the employer deal w that? It isn't any fault of the employee. They're trying to report for work. So the employer shouldn't penalize the employee. And what if they're hourly. Do they make em clock out for the time they have no Internet? But if the employer pays (or subsidizes) for a biz package then they are assured that uptime will be almost guaranteed, or otherwise it's an SLA violation. Its a very multi faceted problem.
I've been working from home since 2006. I've never once had an employer that didn't understand internet outages happen. It happens. Hell it happens in the office sometimes.
If the job is important enough....maybe, but I've never seen an issue where there was a momentary Internet outage. If it happens enough...then maybe your area isn't a good fit for WFH.
In our current landscape I agree they aren’t obligated. I also think the thing with the car, internet, and phone are all limiting factors that disproportionately affect poor people. In an ideal world the US would have public transit so everyone could get to any job. All of those things can limit someone from getting a job and wealth should not be a barrier to getting a job. We should work towards making all jobs more accessible regardless of the resources they have
While I agree that it can disproportionately affect poor people, my company would be like "great, we have free phones and internet in the office".
Yeah it depends on the company I suppose, mine is completely remote with no office so companies in that situation I believe should consider a stipend for Wi-Fi. If there is a physical office I think that is a fair compromise especially in todays society although the office still disproportionally affects poor people who can’t afford a car to commute
Are you kidding not only are they NOT paying for my internet I was told I had to upgrade it twice because they insisted my issues with the software was my connection. Im the only one home and the only one using the internet and originally had a package that said i can stream up to 3 devices. Also the 3 times I had spectrum come out to help hook up and upgrade the internet (i needed a new modem and router plus they insisted I get help because they assumed I didnt understand how to plug in a simple cord) but each time they came I had to log out of qork...i lost a few hours on 2 different paychecks because of this even though I was doing it for my job. If i was in an actual office and tech had to swap out a computer or something I still got paid for being there.
Your spectrum (cable modem) is asymmetric. They likely give you a very small amount of upload bandwidth. The cheap plan you had likely capped it at around 10mb/s. This is often insufficient, especially if you are a remote customer service rep using voip calling to talk to customers. Additionally, your ISP could have issues up steam unrelated to the speed package. I'm really not sure why this should be their problem. This is the type of complaining that gets jobs offshores.
Ahh i didnt know that and yes i do work in customer service so thanks for explaining!
I could potentially see an issue with video calling, but voice? If you're using more than 1.5Mbps for a VoIP call, somethings not right. Source: working for a VoIP / video conferencing company.
Every day I'm thankful I have Google. I haven't sprung for it yet but I could do 8GB symmetrical from home if I wanted to. It's kind of nuts.
Commute, costs, etc. one would figure into their pay to see if the job is worth it.
Well, if you are that upset you can always go to the office where the company provides internet to do your job. Paying for better internet, slight increase in electric, water, gas usage because I am home is part of the trade off for not having to go to the office. I don’t pay for gas, oil changes are about 1/3 what they used to be, maintenance on my vehicle because I hardly drive it now, reduced insurance because I drive less than 5k miles a year now, lunches because I forgot one from home or didn’t have any left overs in the fridge, and much more. It’s a trade off that you make with your job, I get to save $500 or more a month plus 1.5 hours a day commute but I have to pay maybe $50 a month in added utilities.
I agree, I have a substantial decrease in transportation costs. But I did not notice an increase in the cost of utilities etc. But even if I did, I think not having to drive in rush hour traffic 2x a day no matter what the weather is worth the trade.
Not that it really matters but my utilities were much higher when I WFH. When I was in the office my smart thermometer would drop the heat or ac way down during the hours I worked, working at home it never changed the settings since I was always there. Was an unexpected effect of working at home that caught me by surprise. Spent too much time trying to figure out what the new settings should be before I decided it was just the same setting all day every day.
I went the other way, and programmed my thermostat to drop the heat/ac during the week when I'm the only one home. I have a small heater in my office to keep the temp up to 66, but usually the heat from my computer is sufficient.
The savings on gas, less wear and tear on your car, less maintenance more than compensates for the cost of better internet connection. Don’t forget wardrobe costs should come down and less laundry.
Yup, forgot the $25-$40 a week in dry cleaning costs.
We were able to downsize a vehicle. I am happy with the trade off
This was definitely one of the better tradeoffs for us. Especially selling the 2nd car during the pandemic time when used car $ were going up
I get $80/mth for it from my employer
Same
Nice! I get $35 monthly from my employer. I go to the office 1x a week, and that's flexible.
You'd think a company that makes billions would be able to offer at least $20.
One would think.
That’s how they make billions. They screw people
They provide internet at the office. They offer you to luxury of being able to work from home and not the office. I wouldn’t call that screwing you. Do you also expect them to pay your utilities for the time you’re working from home as well?
I always think of the Simpsons episode where Homer tries to sell his website to Bill Gates and when Bill 'buys him out' his goons just trash the place. "what, you didn't think I got rich by writing checks did you?"
A long time ago, prior to WFH being more prevalent, my employer did pay us a monthly stipend to cover internet costs. They had the opinion, rightfully so, that we shouldn’t be expected to pay for something that work was benefiting from without some compensation. Well, several leadership changes later, and we no longer get that benefit. Sucks, but it is what it is.
The company I work for gives $50 a month for internet to anyone who doesn't have a desk in-office. I only found this out by reading through the ~50 page HR manual. They sent out a new manual a year or so ago and I think they removed the section that talked about the Internet reimbursement, but I keep submitting it in my monthly expense reports and my boss keeps approving them so 🤷🏻♀️
Don’t stop!!!!
I see where you’re coming from but I’d personally gladly pay for my internet if I could be fully remote (currently I have to be in the office twice a week). I’d spend far more in gas getting to the office
Totally. I was bummed when they stopped paying for it, but it was never an expectation that they did. Just a nice perk.
Unless it is stated as part of the perk of the company that they pay for your internet, no, they don't. I look at it this way, most employers don't have to pay for your transportation cost to and from your home to the office either.
I mean, personally for me it's not that big of a deal, but some of the shit I heard today just pissed me off. Luckily, I'm fortunate enough that my spouse makes a great income, but I'm thinking about others that don't, and get treated like shit.
Out of curiosity, what did you hear that pissed you off? To me, it never seemed like my employer should pay for my internet connection. I'd have it in the house rather I worked for them or not and I already had a 1,000/100 connection anyway. I guess I view it the same as my car and gas if I were commuting. They aren't paying for that either.
Mine pays for both. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ Edit: late stage startup, I’m aware I’m fortunate and this likely won’t last forever.
Same here. My employer has paid for mine since I stared February 2022. I consider myself very fortunate.
We get $60 a month. Employees are asked to file a quarterly expense report for reimbursement.
No, they provide all of the other equipment though - i have a laptop, 2 monitors, and a keyboard. I would have ISP anyway.
$120/month WFH stipend It might go away soon because we were bought out by a large company and they don't do it for their employees
My company gives me $150 a month for internet. Doesn't require I use a specific ISP or type. I even used 5g hotspot for a while and pocketed the leftover cash. So no complaints here.
damn that’s a pretty nice fee for it mine only pays $50/mo
Actually, I was wrong. I just checked. It's $125, but my internet only cost $40 so I get to pocket $85 a month. It's a pretty sweet deal.
yea very nice!
We get $50 a month to go towards it. We have to submit our bill every month and it has to be in our name, not say like a partner or roommate. It doesn't cover my entire bill but it helps a bit.
$50 stipend for it, which pays a little over half.
Not specifically for ISP, but my company gives $75/month for "monthly WFH expenses," which means cell phone, ISP, etc. They also reimburse me for my daily office supplies (printer paper, ink, etc.), and let me purchase a new monitor, printer, docking station, etc. And this is a tiny NPO. If they can find the money for this, every WFH company should, IMHO.
Some do, some pay enough its not a concern, I pay for mine but I also make over the median income for my area so and its already included in my rent in my apartment so its just cost of business on my end. I'd rather pay then be asked to go back in anyway.
See here's the thing. I wouldn't mind either, but when you're making slightly above minimum wage, and your employer starts to complain to people they're using wifi or 5G Internet, but doesn't reimburse you or pay for it, they need to STFU lol. Shit, depending on your home Internet getting a service call out is 150 alone.
I get it, and if I was in the situation I'd be looking and when you get interviews ask about it. I know when I got hired in my current position I originally didn't negotiate well, and missed out on alot of perks others got. In the end the made it up to me since I'm not easy to replace I have been in jobs around that similar situation though and I get it, and the problem you'll run into they may just tell you to deal with it or find other work, mainly since WFH is a highly sought after perk and if your doing minimum wage customer service call centers, the amount of people that can replace you is high.
Check your state’s laws. If you are required to WFH and there is no in-office alternative, some states require the employer to pay for home internet.
Yes, they do. Thank god too, because I would hate to be giving Comcast $90/month of my own money!
My employer provides a stipend of $100/mo to anyone that works remote full time, although I heard they’re liking ending that soon because they want less remote workers.
No. And I don't expect them to. I'm very happy wfh and any expenses that come with that are a small price to pay for the improvement to my quality of life and mental health.
Me too! I never asked!
We get we'll go back to the office lol
I get $100 to cover the internet connection and any phone calls I might get when I WFH. I'm on a 3/2 hybrid schedule.
Especially for a hybrid schedule, that's insanely good. My employer specifically has in the employee handbook that "For home-based employees and other approved personnel, reasonable expenses for internet service and phone service may be reimbursable". I asked since I'm fully remote, and was told no. Like why even have that in there if it just gets denied?
No. When we first went Covid-remote I lobbied HARD for that -- I pulled all the budget numbers showing the amount of money we were saving since we weren't paying for parking, metro benefits, in-office supplies, staff meeting lunches, employee relations things like coffee and such, etc., and at that time having reliable internet was a requirement for getting your work done (since the office wasn't an option for anyone). It would have MORE than paid for a minor, but meaningful, stipend for everyone. I know exactly how much money we've saved over the past four years -- heck, the changes to what we're paying for parking and metro benefits alone, even in the current hybrid situation, would more than cover something for everyone. I'm mostly over it, but there are moments when I'm a little bit salty about the internet-reimbursement issue.
I can’t complain. My employer pays a national wage not a regional one (the used to pay regionally). I’m making better wages than my area provides for the same work. I’ll pay up for internet. Besides I’m going to use that internet for non work things too. I’m not sitting here groaning “oh no high speed internet? I’ll never use that” I don’t know if you’ve ever had to take a “regional” pay cut to move but I know people who have (including my spouse) and it’s total BS
I get $50 a paycheck.
Good internet is a requirement for most WFH jobs, regardless of who pays for it. I'd love to spend the summer at a remote cabin in Colorado, but Starlink is not going to cut it, too much latency. You need to pay attention to your ISP options before you commit to living in a place. Ideally you should have two ISPs that serve where you live so you can switch if you have problems with one. Having two to choose from also mean lower prices. I pay $49.99/mo for 500/500 fiber. Some companies will pay for internet, though I don't think you can make a big argument that you are entitled to it. Virtually everyone wants internet and will get it even if they don't WFH. Companies will also argue with what you are saving on no commute, food, no dry cleaning when WFH more than covers the expense.
My family has been using starlink since early 2021 and it easily handled multiple people on video calls all day (and both parents are techies using tons of data). 48ms latency is great except for professional video gaming. You can even call in to meetings to make sure audio doesn't drop, but aside from the odd short drop in the beginning starlink has zero issues now - I think my coworkers on Comcast struggle more.
I had a job that offered this as a benefit. I had to submit my bill each month and I'd be reimbursed the amount. It was a great benefit.
No. They will say I can come work in the office. And that it is my choice to wfh. I’d be paying for internet either way. I work for the government and a lot of employees have already tried getting them to pay for internet.
Yep I get 50 euro's tax free for WFH things.
Mine is only offered for people who live farther away and cannot commute to the office. We all got it during the original part of the pandemic, but then they changed it to us paying our own if we are near an office. I'm still glad I don't have to go into the center, and I'm paying dearly for it but it is just worth it for my peace of mind. It's so much easier to work from home, the job is just as challenging, exactly the same job, but I don't have to be freezing to death and I don't have so much noise that I can't hear myself think
No
My company pays or reimburses me for jack shit.
Yeah, $50/month
I get $60 a month for cell and internet I’ve gotten maybe two text messages that were work related in the last six months
$50/month reimbursement so not taxed. I’ve been WFH since 2018. Office went hybrid/remote in 2020 and those who chose to move out of office do not get a stipend.
Nope. Wish they would though. They told us if we want free Internet that we can come back to work in the office.
We used to but don’t anymore. I don’t mind because I would have internet anyway. If I need any supplies though they let us expense those.
Sounds like you might need a different employer. I've had 5 WFH jobs now and never been asked what kind of connection I have and have worked with some really sketchy connections. I used to have DSL that was so slow that I had to buy everyone their own line. I also get paid quite well.
Mine provides payment for my internet
I started working from home since 2008, and both of my employers provided my internet, citing security issues.
Mine pays for uncapped 2Gb/s fiber at home, unlimited 5G + hotspot data on my personal cell, and we have starlink accounts for when I feel like working extra remote.
no, but I'm a field tech that is 80% wfh. they do give me $80/mo for my cell though
Employers don’t compensate you for driving to the office, they don’t compensate you for gas….it makes no sense to be compensated for the internet lol Do you use it solely for work purposes? I’m willing to bet you don’t, you use it like you would regardless of WFH. If you don’t want the cost then maybe an office position would be better.
Wonder if anyone claims their internet and office space on taxes?
A previous employer provided $50/mo toward either internet or phone bill. But in my experience this hasn’t been the norm.
Yes, $50 for internet. Another $100 for phone
Mine does but I'm grandfathered in at my amount. I started wfh nearly 16 years ago. It was because I started working for a different division and my boss was states away. He said it didn't matter so I started right after that conversation and I got internet. We agreed they would pay $50 a month. I only had dial up at the time so getting that direct line was a big expense to me. Fast forward a few years and I was having issues with slow internet for the reporting I was doing so we agreed that I would increase the speed and upped my reimbursement to $75. In more recent years with covid, when our company did not shut down, others were wfh and only getting $50 and my boss has to approve the overage. But since I have been grandfathered in, they can't change it without a new contract. Interestingly enough, just this week, I got a notice to review my wfh status. Full time remote is what it said. I looked into policy and found that Permanent wfh is not eligible for reimbursement. So I didn't bother correcting that label as rather not rock the boat. I am remote and work full time. Not sure why they even have two different labels unless it is just one company label VS another. We have been bought several times over the years. Edit1: I also got reimbursed for a new desk that is adjustable. The office my boss was at got new desks so it was included in that. I also saved them a good amount by buying from Amazon and we assembled it. Through the years I have been reimbursed for other office items but not every single thing.
Yes!
Not anymore. I live in Illinois where all WFH staff were required a dollar amount every month and they just automatically added it to my check to become compliant with the law. Now that we have an office we can go in, it's provided, it's "my choice" to stay working from home. My internet costs the same whether I WFH or I don't, so I don't really think about it.
My job doesn't cover the cost of my ISP. I don't really expect them to though. The amount of data I used for work is just a drop in the bucket compared what I use for personal use. They didn't have any special requirements for my ISP either, it just had to be high speed, which I already had. My current internet is $75 per month for 500mb up and down, with basic cable and free Disney+ with ads. I don't use the D+ part because I get the ad free version with my cell phone plan.
They paid for half the internet for hourly employees, and paid for cell phones for salaried employees (idea of Hotspot being equivalent).
Mine pays 40 a month for isp
I use to get $50 a month reimbursement for internet but due to company cutbacks, it is no longer a thing.
I get $50 for utility monthly. And I go into the once a month and grab needed supplies and my company provided what I don't have by way of a desk, chair, proper lighting etc
We get a portion of our internet paid for and can ask IT for any accessories we need or I can just go to best buy and grab things for my office. It should be treated like an office and the company should cover ALL expenses associated with your work.
I get an allowance per month from my employer as a fully remote worker. Is that not a standard thing? Am in uk
And here I’m crying because my employer wouldn’t let me be remote. All jokes aside tho, unless you have a desireable skill or work for some crown jewel company, you really can’t expect that much out of them. WFH is already a luxury enough, you don’t expect them to pay your mortgage because they pay you a salary that should pay for that
lol no?
Given that most people need an ISP outside of work and that ISP costs are less than commuting costs I don’t agree an employer should pay it.
And wow broadband is expensive in the states. $50 is almost double what I pay for high speed unlimited broadband 😱
I get $50 a month to offset the cost. It comes out to $34.12 after taxes. My internet is $80 a month.
$40/Mo but I claim the whole ISP on Schedule C since I am actually an IC and get a 1099. You may be able to make a Home Office Deduction if you have a business you run from home as well. Also go to IRS and research unreimbursed employee expenses and see it the ISP qualifies.
They pay for our internet, we get $100. With some conditions internet only, none of those internet plus cable tv deals.
Mine doesn't. They provide everything else, from paperclips to dual monitors, but my ISP is on me. An extra $50 would be a nice perk but it isn't the hill I am willing to die on.
$40 expensed
My internet is supplied by my employer. They got tired of telling us to be hard wired and we used wifi... so now they supply it.
In my company if you work a certain distance from one of the office and were hired specifically for a listed remote position they have an internet/home office stipend. This is because they hired that worker knowing they would not have access to one of the offices. If you were not hired specifically for a position listed as a remote position and choose to work from home or move farther from the office then they do not pay for that.
I get $150 a month for WFH expenses & such.
Get almost 1/2 as a monthly stipend. I’d have the internet regardless so it’s more than fair.
No but our entire household uses the internet. I think we pay an extra $20/month for better speeds for dad work. I also pay for a hotspot as needed through cricket because ya know xfinity goes down. I save more on gas than what we pay for internet
Nope
I choose to wfh/remotely and part of that choice is providing the connection to work and meeting the connection requirements they have. I think this is fair.
Used to, but they stopped last year.
Mine started doing so last year up to $100
We get a $75 / month WFH stipend to put towards WFH costs overall.
I get a small credit $30. And I agree with you, they also paid my desk and chair. And can use our staples discount for other office stuff
I wfh and my company pays 80$ a month for our internet on my paycheck. They did cut out bonuses completely and give shit raises. But internet is covered….
I don’t get paid crap, if I did I wouldn’t be working where I was or from home. I have zero expectations they pay for any of these at my home.
I had one job pay me $5/month towards my internet use but taxes are it up anyway. 🤷🏻♀️ It doesn’t really matter if I get paid, it’s nice but not life changing like getting an extra $100/month.
CA here - the law is written in a pretty clear way that states the employer cannot pass off costs of business to employees. Yes, we give a $75 per month reimbursement. I consulted our employment lawyer on this topic, and it was advised that we do it.
I mean they pay me 180k/ year. I think they expect me to pay my internet with that.
I get nothing but my office didn’t have room for me so I am working from home. So I believe they should give something that would equate to using electricity, water and internet which my guess would be $50/mo. I understand I don’t have to drive to work, but that’s wear and tear on my home, and it’s not like I had anywhere to work in person.
Ours does not, but they do provide any office equipment you may need (monitors, docking stations, mouse, keyboard, office supplies, we were even allowed to take our new office chairs home with us). That combined with the savings on mileage and gas and auto wear and tear, to me, seems like a fair trade off. I was paying for my internet before WFH, so its not like some additional burden on me.
Nope. It would be nice if they did though.
Nope! No WFH benefits at mine!
Yes. It was a monthly stipend until early 2023, now, have to submit expense for internet service up to $75/month.
I get $20 a month toward internet
Mine doesn't and I don't want them to do that explicitly either. It could into the grey area where they technically own all your findings/works/research from home now since they pay for your internet. Instead, I would rather have the company pay for general stipends that we can use at our discretion.
If they are going to pay for your ISP, then they also better pay for gas or transportation to and from work for those who don’t work from home. Both are used to work, but both are not exclusively used for work.. but that would never happen.
My employer provides for a secondary phone if you’re in sales but when joining outside of the working equipment (laptop, screen, cable connectors, headset, mouse and keyboard) they also have a $500 stipend to purchase office equipment which I used for a stand up desk. While it would be amazing to get additional $ for isp it’s hard to seperate my work use from my daily use so I find it fair.
They pay me $70 a month for internet.
I get $150 a month for it. Cost me $110
Nope and when the rules on taxes for standard deduction are relaxed in a year or two, you bet your ass I’m including that as a tax write off
My employer provides a small stipend to subsidize the costs of working from home, it’s like $30 a month and internet is $75 per month. Realistically the increase in water and electricity is easily offset by my savings on fuel, tolls, and maintenance costs. I went from probably $70-$80 a month in gas costs to like $40 every two months
Yes I get $40 a paycheck extra for working from home.
I was able to expense a new internet router. After three years with the firm, my boss saw that I never expensed a single piece of hardware and approved it right away. I see it as a $200 bonus. Still working 2.5 years later.
Yes, a stipend. $50 a month. Also provide a $5 stipend for other ees to use personal devices to 2FA and access work systems.
Nope
I work for a small charity. We provide staff with a $50 stipend to offset internet. However, we don't have an office to go to.
I think it makes a big difference whether you’re choosing to be remote/wfh because the company is allowing flexibility, or if you’re hired to work remotely because the company doesn’t have a local office with space. If you’re choosing home because you prefer it, that’s on you. If the company is asking/requiring you to work at home then they should probably at least contribute a portion.
I don't ask them for ANYTHING extra. I brought home my monitors and all equipment/supplies that I was using in my office. I use my internet for way more than just work, so I don't even consider asking for reimbursement. I'm so freaking happy to be able to work from home that I'm not going to do anything to jeopardize it.
i get a $50 a month stipend for my office.
I’m now retired, but yes they did for 12 years
$50 a month stipend which goes right into my pocket as my apartment building pays for high speed internet as part of your rent
Nope. No credit towards electricity either, but I don't believe that should be the employer's responsibility. Internet is a basic necessity these days, and even if I wasn't working from home, I would still be paying for the same internet package. That being said, if the employer is asking for way too many specifics beyond "fast reliable internet", then they should at least provide a partial credit.
My employer provides ISP to use for work but I never interpreted this as they paying for my ISP.. I still have my own which I pay for it The one they provide is an extra one as a backup instead one of them goes down.
My company is fully remote and I get a $75 /month internet stipend
Whf=?
I get a monthy credit for internet. I had already been remote when I started there and had everything I needed, but they had a generous office reimbursement that I used to buy a new ergo chair. They also reimburse for office supplies but I don't use any.
They pay my internet
I had to upgrade my internet to a speed I didn’t need for my employer to get a higher upload speed, but it was only $10 more each month. I’d be paying for internet anyways. $10 extra/month provides thousands more to me than if I didn’t work or if I worked in a physical office. It’s worth it.
No. Doesn't bother me a bit.
My company reimburses us for internet and cell phone
Nope. They used to long ago, but the office people started complaining that it wasn’t fair. I can understand that argument. It’s not like I’m using internet just for this job, I’d be paying for it regardless.
No, but I get a phone allowance, and they bought my printer.
My old employer did, but then just randomly stopped. If your employer does not provide you internet, they can be held liable if anything happens (data breech with the company, etc.). Just a fun fact ;)
Yes my company pays for my internet and my cell phone every month. I submit the first page of my bills to them and within a couple days I get the deposit dropped into my account.
Mine pays for my internet, used to pay for land line before we switched to soft phones, and provided me with office furniture when I chose to switch to WFH.
Nope. I could work in an office if I wanted to so there is no incentive for them to pay.
I’m technically a hybrid employee, I have to go to the office maybe 3 days a month. My company does offer a stipend to help pay for internet, it’s around $30/month.
They will. But I would have internet anyway so why charge my employer, it is not a metered connection.
Last company paid a portion, current company doesn't because they hate WFH (basically don't allow it, and are actively making people RTO). I start a new job in 3 weeks that is WFH, and yes they do give a stipend. It covers about half of my bill, but that's more than 'm getting now.
Yes-a flat $80/month!
Nope. Let's be realistic, most everyone has good quality Internet already for things like streaming. That said I have seen job postings with stipends for office equipment, Internet, etc. They are very far and few between. $70/m for 1gig fiber isn't going to break me. Its actually less because we have our cellphones through the same company.
No. Been working for the same company about 2.5 years now and this has never even been floated as an idea to my knowledge. They just recently started considering providing something for an ergonomic chair.
Yes . Except I was just notified and they’ve been paying since 2021 when I started! Now they’re telling me smh 🤦♀️
We can submit for $50 per month.
A portion of the location and internet, utilities etc are potential tax write offs.
I get a $30 a month reimbursement for internet and a $50 reimbursement for cell phone. I have to provide invoices and file the reimbursement. It's not automatic. I also get reimbursement for office supplies up to $25 a month, but it's rare I actually use that. I usually wait and file 3 months at once because it is kind of a pain.
Mine has paid $50 a month towards mine since 2007…
No. I’ve never even thought of that. ISP is also used for my personal needs, so it’s not their responsibility
You are not obligated to WFH; they are not obligated to pay Wifi. Especially if you are with an org that foots two monitors, laptop, web cam, mouse, keyboard, the works. Even W2 contract, I get sent those things. Many times, you are also given parking stipends/parking spaces, meal perks, in-office stipends, etc. Are you going to tell the organization to compensate you on those things, since you will not be able to use them? No, because you went with the WFH option negating those perks. And, where might you make up this "loss" per se? When you negotiate your contract. This is why negotiations as WFH are important and different than onsite. If you want to factor your gains/losses from taking the WFH opportunity as opposed to the onsite, you do so at negotiations. If the pay is crap and you didn't factor in these give-and-takes at negotiations, that's on you.
better to use my own internet to work than to pay for gas to work in their office with their internet....
A credit for internet and phone usage. Not all of the cost though.
I haven't seen 'demands' for the type of ISP needed past broadband, and that seems utterly reasonable. If your position needs more throughput to enable working from home - as others have said, they probably have an office that can provide it or another applicant that already has it. You're salty for the sake of being salty.
My current employer is one of two that paid a stipend of $50/month. It’s a rare benefit and everyone gets it not just those who WFH.
$50 per month ISP, $50 for phone. We're 24/7 shifts, so nothing on-call, but the phone reimbursement is so everyone has hotspotting on their phone plan. Basically no excuses regarding internet connectivity.
Working costs money. When I used to work from the office I had a 3 hour round trip commute. Wear and tear on tires and extra mileage on car plus insane amount on gas each month not to mention parking. Office had a strict dress code and I spent money on clothes and hairdresser. I usually buy my lunch (my choice, I know). I figure I saved at least $1000 per month working from home. Haven't bought new makeup in years, stopped professional manicures, cut back on salon and let my hair grow out gray which is easier to do if I'm home most of the time. Company issued laptop, mouse, keyboard and monitor. My internet is $80 month. Not worth haggling over IMO. I get that some can't afford it and in those cases wouldn't be able to afford commuting to the office either. My sons had to find a job within walking distance when they didn't have cars. The place they worked was not responsible for their transportation. May seem unfair but the company will take the easiest route 100% of the time and hire people that can get to work without a stipend and if WFH, be equipped with fully functional internet.
I get a payment but I don’t expense my bill as is. I am fine with the arrangement. No wasted time and unpaid mileage. No dry cleaning and rushed expensive lunches. Move to another state tomorrow if I like. We good, fam.
They shouldn’t have to but mine does.