OT- jobs come like buses
To the poster that mentioned when job searching it's like buses, nothing and then several at once. I did my 3rd interview with the one company I'd really like w/the hiring managers and VP of Sales. He happened to have worked for my previous company years ago and is also a fellow pianist :) I have verified that they did call my manager and general manager at work to check for references. All looks promising but of course, no guarantees. They said it would be about a week.to hear back.
In the meantime, I had an initial interview with another company and have another next week with a different one. Keeping options going/flowing.
Anyways, because I'm on over the top planner, I was thinking about what would happen if I DO get the offer w/the first company. It is strictly at home with accounts in my city/state as there is no office here. With my previous company I worked from home once a week, then during Covid it was daily and then I took a early retirement packaged back in Aug 2020. I don't have a proper office set-up.
When my older son went to another state w/a friend -I set up his room as a home office- beautifully painted, etc. But alas, he is back lol. I predict my younger one will likely move out before him-so in another year I will have a dedicated office. For now, I would have to use my bedroom. Which isn't small but not huge, but doable. As it is now, I have a makeshift desk (old folding table) set up w/the printer on my dresser. SUPER old inadequate chair, etc.
SO, indulge me, IF I were to get the offer, I'd have to get a proper set up. I made a list of things I could think of-since this is a long-term daily at home (with visits to accounts in my area and very limited trips domestic and maybe once/twice a year to Central America). They mentioned they would provide a laptop, phone, printer, etc...but what is the etc? There is a lot needed to set up a home office. The initial set-up stipend would obviously have to be more then the next year which would be basic supplies (and I send for reimbursement)
I made a list- things I would need/like to operate efficiently. Are these things you think they would consider, laugh off, not worth asking, etc? Over the top, personal responsibility, fair, etc...I'm open to ALL opinions/criticism/ideas. But I want this to be part of the negotiation if they give me an offer. They do also provide a monthly car allowance in addition to salary.
I'll post my list in a 2nd post on the thread as this is too long -but you all know me, I"m NEVER concise.
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So here is an idea of things
So here is an idea of things I was thinking, should I set up in an excel type format maybe w/a place for them to add notes, etc?
Is there an annual stipend to upgrade or get new office equipment and initial home office set-up?
Typical items needed for home office:
Additional office and business items:
OH and side note- I would be best off with a room diver of some sort- I looked at some on amazon and you're looking at about $150 for size/quality I would need. I'm thinking that one is definitely a personal 'want' and thought I should leave off entirely, and get one w/my own $...but don't know where things stand. Most people don't have a dedicated office room, some use bedrooms, living rooms, etc. With the divider I would have privacy if DH walks in, I could still see out the window but it would shut out the bed and our side tables which are normally a hot mess- making my job 'space' cleaner and more productive.
Good list
You should also ask them if they will pay for all or a portion of your internet bill.
The list will be dependent on
The list will be dependent on the job and the kind of worker you are. 99% of my job is done on a laptop with VPN and network storage, so most physical office supplies for me are useless. But, my coworkers still keep physical notes, print things out, etc so they keep those kinds of supplies on hand. It'll be hard to know until you get the job and a list of actual duties.
Something to consider, though: if there is something YOU want, buy it yourself or find out the policy on returning items purchased by the company. Some places will let you keep anything they purchase for you except laptops, hard drives, and other proprietary items. Some expect you to turn back in every last paperclip. Find out that policy before you buy anything so you can decide if you want to purchase things yourself so you can keep them.
A lot of those items on your
A lot of those items on your list are sold at a premium these days because there is so much demand for home office equipment.
I would keep this list in your back pocket and start asking questions about how they are going to provide these items, as in are you going to be reimbursed or are you going to be purchasing them with a company card? I would ask this question in terms of operations rather than part of your negotiation. That way you make it clear that these things are not considered a benefit to you they are considered necessities of work.
I work for a large company and when we started working from home they gave us a budget for a few items to help set up our home offices. I also am able to order from Staples from a list of pre-approved items.
It's quite unlikely that you are going to be able to submit this list and have all these things since your house, so I would add estimated prices for each of these items use this list as a justification for a home office budget. Perhaps separate the items in terms of those things that you need for traveling versus things you need to work at home. And when it comes to traveling I would separate them into wants and needs. You may be able to get a lot of the needs right away and be able to get the wants a little bit later after you have proven yourself and are in a better position to write a justification of why you need those things.
With the transition to working from home a lot of data storage and paper management systems have gone away. You may find that you don't need a filing cabinet at all or thumb drives and are expected to have everything on the cloud or a server and just access it with your secure laptop.
If you are traveling with another employee I would take notice of what they have and you would have good justification to get the same things. You can also mention any shortcomings that you noticed and perhaps the whole team can get portable projectors if you would benefit from it.
But as I said frame this as part of an operational budget not as part of your negotiation of benefits. These are not benefits these operational necessities.
They should provide you with
They should provide you with internet. Get a router for work and keep your personal line separate. Also consider envelopes and postage if needed
As others have said depends on company
Well done on the new opportunities. I was the person with the bus comment.
Mine provided nothing beyond a laptop. I went to the office at the start of lockdown and liberated a large screen and keyboard. Everything else I had to buy myself or borrow from poor DH's home office. He thought I'd be using it for 6 weeks. Lolz. Over a year and half later I'm still using his space, desk and chair.
The big upside is that I've finally achieved a paperless office.