4w ago

my employer is making me buy a new PC for my remote job (or update and use my own, instead)

Apparently, the PC I was given by my employer less than a year ago is too out of date (uses Windows 10) and I have to have Windows 11 now for security reasons. I have a gaming PC, but it's my partner's, too, and it'd be a huge waste of its power and graphics card, plus it'd have to be moved. I really don't want to do that.

A new company owns the company I work for now, but still. This is not what I agreed to. Ugh. I'm so annoyed.

It's not that expensive, really ($200), but it's the principle of the matter. How long will it be before they force me to do this again, anyway??? I already get paid a shit wage.

36 comments

I'd buy the new PC so that your own PC can actually be your own still and your work stuff can be relegated to that new PC.
There's plenty of really good reason to not mix work and pleasure on your main PC, your employer or school effectively taking ownership of your main, personal system being one big one.
Optionally, I'd also just start looking for new work if you work for a BYOD place.
- yeah... unfortunately, this is what I ended up doing. I guess I knew I'd have to leave this job eventually, but I'm really loving remote work.
  they ended up having seemingly absurd requirements (I9 processor or greater) for what's basically a desktop phone. I guess it's a bargain... we're getting a good processor out of it. my partner thankfully knows how to build PCs.
  
  An i9 for a work PC? Seriously? What did they think you were going to do, compile massive amounts of code all day? Even my current CPU, an R5 4500, is probably overkill for basic office tasks (but it's perfectly adequate for gaming on if you're not interested in the latest AAA slop), and it's truly a low-end part, but an i9 or R9 for basic office tasks is ridiculous.

What?!
Your employer is making you buy a work PC?
That's a huge red flag, you should never be paying for work supplies, especially a fucking computer.
- Seconded OP, you should never have to pay for your own computer for a role. If you had a BYOC policy (which I've only seen really new startups and super shady telemarketing places do), then I'd be looking for new work. You can be honest, tell them you can't afford it. Tell them you'd need a stipend to do so. They don't need to know you have another computer. Just say "I understand the security concerns, but I can't afford it, if it's an immediate need then let's discuss a one time stipend so I can upgrade earlier"
  
  No, the correct answer is "No, it's your duty as employer to provide me with the tools to do my work".
  No beed to start bluffing and making excuses when the other end is wrong from the start.
  
  BYOC works if the company is doing everything via a hosted environment that you’d use any web browser to access. Beyond that, what a security nightmare.
- Who says OP isn't a contractor or the like?

Do NOT, I repeat, do NOT use your own device. You most likely will have to install software packages onto the machine that can and will track everything you do, at the bare minimum on the work account, and potentially the entire system. You don't want to run the risk of the company having access to your personal stuff.
There are also a lot of legal words that work their way into contracts that state things like "anything done on a work related machine is the property of the company". Don't risk it, fight them to get them to provide a work device.

You are under no obligation to use your personal equipment and I wouldn't.
Who owns the company PC you are currently using? How much is it worth? Likely it's part of the corporate IT fleet and is covered by a support contract. What does that cover? What happens if it gets damaged, who pays for what?

No. This is a con. An employer has to provide the necessary equipment to do the job. If they're prepared to try this on they won't hesitate to shaft you at a later date.

If you’re in the US and you are an employee (not a contractor) your employer has to supply you with the tools to do your job. Sorry they’re pulling this.

They should pay for your work computer

Not sure where you at but in US your parasite is obligated to provide the tools for your labour.

If their reason is truly for security, then having you use your own personal computer is a terrible idea! Enterprise hardware and software systems exist for many reasons, and keeping work and personal separate is not an insignificant one for us WFH folks. Do they really want you logging into secure systems from hardware they have no control over? Seems like an unnecessary liability for them.
And if when you got the job you were told that equipment would be provided, then they cannot expect you to even have your own PC let alone one that meets their security requirements.
This would piss me off so much, sorry they’re putting you through this bullshit.

When I initially saw the post title I was going to provide recommendations for building one but after reading your situation I agree with the rest of the commentors here.
Your work/boss requiring you to BYOC is a HUGE red flag. If anything, I'd also recommend asking for a stipend that would fully cover the expense for a computer, if they say no and tell you to bring the one you have from home say no. They cannot force you to bring your own computer for work.
In the worst case scenario that they choose to be idiotic and fire you for saying no then you will be obligated for severance and/or unemployment insurance if I remember correctly.
Edit:
*I made grammar revisions for this comment

Tell them you don’t have a pc.
- Literally this...
  No PC, then sit there and just wait for them to send one. If they can't provide you with basic tools to work, then expect that they also won't pay you.

Get the unemployment paperwork filled out in advance and start the job search, then you can say pretty much anything you want to their unreasonable requests.

I have to have Windows 11 now for security reasons.
Can.. you not upgrade your current work machine to win11?
Just tell them that you'll send them back the laptop for the upgrade if you have to, or IT can do it remotely, but you dont have another PC to use, that's why you had one issued.
They only way I would use my personal PC is if I am VPN+RDPing into a work machine, and that's it. I've done that many times before, as that's secure and doesn't have any work resources on your oc itself, you're just remotely connecting to your actual work PC over a secure vpn.
That's the only scenario that I use my personal PC for work.
- My laptop doesn't support upgrading to win 11 because of its processor. You can hack your way around shit like that, but it takes some doing.

I'm sorry if I misunderstood, english is not my first language, but what stops you from upgrading the laptop from work to win 11?
- Microsoft is a bag of dicks, that's why
  They are forcing all Intel based devices with 7th Gen processors and under, to not be compatible with Windows 11. Sure there's workarounds to force it, but you can't do that stuff with worked based hardware.
  https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/minimum/supported/windows-11-supported-intel-processors
  If your processor isn't in that list, your shit outta luck and need to upgrade because they said so.
  Amd link is here - https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows-hardware/design/minimum/supported/windows-11-supported-amd-processors
  
  Ah, I remember now. Around 2022, I used Rufus to bypass those restrictions. I wonder if it's any easier now.
- Very much this. It's been a free upgrade for windows 10 for a good long while now.

Apparently, the PC I was given by my employer less than a year ago is too out of date (uses Windows 10) and I have to have Windows 11 now for security reasons.
upgrade this to 11 if the hardware is compatible. don't do anything else other than click the button in windows update for it. that much won't cost you a penny.
(back up the important data, bookmarks, etc. first, just in case windows update wants to crap all over your system)
nearly every pc sold new from the major manufacturers in the last decade is compatible with windows 11 system requirements. it may need a bios setting changed to enable a hardware feature windows 11 'needs' to have.
if what they provided in 2024 was actually a 10+ year old pc.. then, i dunno. definitely push back a bit there. win 10 doesn't go 'end of life' til october, so you have time to discuss things with them. there is also an optional program to give a win10 system updates past then (not free. iirc, $30-some first year. more in yrs 2 and 3 if wanted).
if you need new and you're unsure if you'll get reimbursed or reimbursed right away. don't go crazy. go 'acceptable' for the task-at-hand, and as inexpensively as possible.
if you're in the us, walmart has a basic asus laptop for $249 (8gb/256ssd core i3).
i highly recommend keeping 'work' pc and stuff separate from 'home' and 'play' stuff and systems. work on a work pc, do everything else on something else.
- Many are compatible, yes, but I wouldn't say nearly every one is compatible. My laptop is from 2018 and is not compatible because Microsoft doesn't like my processor. Despite the fact that I'm sure it would run win 11 just fine.

Easiest way might just to be running an windows 11 vm and they won’t know

36 comments