In regards to people working from home. Questions for those engaged in this.

[marked50]

This may have been answered before, so apologies if it has.

With the distinct possibility that this "working from home" thing will become the new norm for many I was wondering how compensation and other things associated with this are going to change.

Like, tax reduction for home business expenses? Are employers paying for internet charges and other things like laptop expenses? Are those companies using these methods going to downsize their own real estate expenses and go to smaller or no offices ?

[WhiskeyGrinder]

1. When I was hired as a remote employee, my employer paid for my entire cell and internet bill

and gave me an annual allowance for hardware purchasing. Some employers are also using this opportunity to implement surveillance software to ensure you're working when you say you are. These things will vary by company, obviously, but it's important for employees to know what they'll say in conversations about these issues in the coming months.

[catrose]

3. Yes, my company got us to go work from home with enticements like that:

paying phone bill and internet.

Then a few months later, they quit, saying we'd buy that stuff anyway.

Still worth it to stay home, especially after they discontinued free coffee at the office.

[WhiskeyGrinder]

16. The company I worked for was originally founded as a 100% remote company, so it's not

like we made a switch and then lost benefits.

[SamKnause]

2. My niece worked from home for 25+ years.

She was laid off 4 weeks ago. (First time being laid off)

She paid for the internet.

The company supplied the computer.

She couldn't take any tax deductions.

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

4. You can already deduct home office expenses for your own business.

How much you will be able to deduct for working at home for someone else will probably depend on how much of your home office expense will be picked up by your employer. Will they buy you a specialized computer, if necessary, or a software package? Will they pick up the tab for some or all of your Internet service? I do think some employers might keep WFH if it's working for them now because it will enable them to have smaller physical offices, even if they end up paying some of their employees' home office expenses.

[leftieNanner]

5. To your last point

I think as companies realize that their employees are as productive working from home, they will start to realize that their expense for big office space is a waste of money. All you need is a good sized conference room for occasional meetings - because there is a creative energy that is helpful within face-to-face connections.

It will be interesting to see how the corporate real estate market looks a few years from now.

[OAITW r.2.0]

17. I agree! The cost of RE in major metropolitan area's is very expensive. I can see major

corporations rethinking the necessity of leasing lots of sf office space if work-at-home proves a viable option. I've been working from home for over 20 years...I think I've been more productive then I would have been anchored to a cubicle. For one thing, I am on my PC working at 1 or 2 in the AM, communicating with employees/suppliers working in China/India. I get a jump on the issues that I wouldn't be aware of if I waited until the next biz day for normal at work office hours.

[cbdo2007]

6. Company pays for all hardware...computer, monitors, headset, etc.

Company has made no mention of paying for home internet or those services but I would guess my work from home only utilizes about 50% of my total internet time usage, so it wouldn't make sense for them to pay for all of it. I bet if anyone was having financial hardship about this and submitted a request though, they could get their internet paid for. That being said I'm guessing about 99% of people at my company already had internet at home before all of this happened. My internet is about $70 per month so 50% of that is about $400 per year. Nothing I'm going to squabble about with them, but I bet they will pay for some of this if it becomes a permanent thing. I save WAY MORE than that by not commuting each day though, so again, I'm not gonna cause a fuss.

Going forward, I could see my company maybe letting us work from home maybe 2-3 days per week ongoing, but also having us there 2-3 days per week. Its way better for me as an employee and getting work done, but the collaboration and camaraderie is definitely lacking.

[Igel]

13. Don't just look at one side of the ledger.

Look at both sides.

Yes, I use home Internet service for work. And my own cell phone.

I eat at home. Have a bit of flexibility. But those aren't $.

Do I save any money?

I don't have to buy gas to drive 25 miles 5 days a week. Even at $1.39/gal that's going to total up to more than $400 per year.

Most of my car mileage is work. Suddenly I have less maintenance on the vehicle and pay less for car insurance.

I lost weight. Right now I would be buying my minimum work wardrobe, which would cost a few hundred dollars (which would depreciate). Instead I'm wearing a t-shirt and gym trunks.

This won't last because it isn't working. Some jobs you need to be physically present for. But during lockdown, we make due.

[RainCaster]

7. I have been working from home for 30+ years

When I need a conference room, I rent one at the community center. Very cheap, great wifi, clean restrooms.

[exboyfil]

8. 17 years ago I worked from home

That is the first time I had high speed internet which was paid for by my employer. I retained it, and it became an essential utility. The price has continued to climb over time. My current employer allowed me to bring my monitors home. I already had a business PC along with my office workstation which stays onsight. I use both computers to do my work with either VPN or Amazon Workspace remoting into the work station. I haven't needed to add any internet capability. My home office desk is my workspace. I just stack the two PCs on top of one another. I will probably have to replace my office chair sooner than I would have otherwise.

I save a little bit on commuting. My wife was taking me to work so two round trips a day. I live three miles from work. I brown bagged so no savings on food. Savings on clothes those. I can't remember the last time I wore slacks.

I think it could become the new normal. I like it. I think I am more productive. You do run the danger of it bleeding into your personal life more. Those with young families are saving a lot on childcare.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

10. Well, for people who have young children, you are supposed to have them in child care

even working from home, but right now is an exception to the rule since a lot of the day cares and schools are closed.

[exboyfil]

11. Yes a bit more is being forgiven right now

I even hear my boss's kids in the background sometimes (his wife is a stay at home wife like my wife was when my kids were little). I did have a few times when my kids generated noise when I worked from home 17 years ago, but it was infrequent.

On a longer term basis, I assume those with young families would have greater accountability.

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

9. I have been working from home for a decade now.

It all depends on where you work. I pay for my own internet, but that's not a big deal because we would be paying for internet anyhow. We use it for so much now. For the last few years I have just been doing the standard deduction on taxes because it has been a better deal than itemized for my family. I have barely any expenses related to working from home. Most work places provide a work laptop because they want you to do your work from a device they consider to be secure. My employer would not allow work from home on a personal device.

[exboyfil]

12. You mean like our former Secretary of State and Presidential candidate

I still can't believe, no matter how decrepit the WH system was, that she mixed her WH communications with her personal communications. In the business world we haven't been doing that for 20 years or more.

[tinrobot]

14. I've worked from home for many, many years.

The company I'm currently working for is a major computer/internet company. They've been wonderful.

I had my own business before I started with them, so I have the whole home office thing already set up.

They gave me a corporate laptop to access their internal network, offered me office furniture (which I didn't need), plus I can expense stuff such as internet/phone. They don't compensate me for rent or anything, but my savings on the commute make up for it.

I have been deducting some expenses from taxes, but it has been against business income I still generate on the side.

[Alex4Martinez]

15. My employer pays for my Internet and phone, cell phone, and equipment

I've been with this employer since 2006, they're in DC and I'm in California.

I take a home office exemption on taxes, based on percentage of home space dedicated exclusively to my work, including a share of utilities.

[mike_c]

18. My job has always been a mix of at home and on campus work

I don't get any help from my employer but really don't need any. I've always thought of working at home as a privilege I'm lucky to have and not minded the costs, which are low anyway. During this current emergency my dept did offer some free tech stuff like Wacom tablets and such for colleagues who need them, but I don't need them. I do need to learn to use Zoom before fall semester, apparently the CSU is suspending in-person classes.

[mcar]

19. I have worked from home since 2002

mostly as a freelancer. But, from 2006-13 I was employed by a large healthcare corp, working remotely. They had many remote employees so had a system in place.

Every month, I got reimbursed a certain amount for my landline, cell phone and internet. They provided all my electronics - laptop, printer/fax machine, monitor, etc. I was also able to get home office deductions on my taxes each year.