Is it the norm to be asked to use own computer for an Inside IR35 contract?

[northernladuk]

Ask your employer for a device (I'll give you a clue it's not the client)

It sucks that this is the case but welcome to the world of Inside roles, is it fair, probably not, does it suck hell yes, will it change in April who knows!

I'd like to see the Umbrella's faces when that request goes in

[SimonMac]

Ask your employer for a device (I'll give you a clue it's not the client)

It sucks that this is the case but welcome to the world of Inside roles, is it fair, probably not, does it suck hell yes, will it change in April who knows!

[gisp]

Silver lining of using your own laptop is you don't need to have another laptop cluttering your desk when you watch pronhub.

[d000hg]

I'm a little surprised they would want you to use your own what with security considerations. Then there's software licensing, do you provide that too or use their licenses on your machine?

On the other hand it means you're not stuck with whatever clunky old thing they give the permies.

[swamp]

I was once asked to BYOD for an (umbrella) contract. Specifically it had to be a Mac. My old MacBook Pro died years ago, so I just used a MacBook Air. Eventually the client got fed up with me wasting (their) time using an underpowered laptop and they sent me a shiny new 16" MBP.

[SueEllen]

Just to focus on this point, I don't think it's normal - every contract I've had so far (inside or outside), I've always been issued with a client laptop because they don't want other devices connecting to their network.

There is no norm.

I know permies who were made to buy their own laptops in different scenarios.

Scenario one was the permies brought a laptop that suited them and after they had been with their employer for a few months they then got reimbursed for them. The employer did this to stop people joining, the employer funding laptops for them that the employer would never want back and then the employee leaving within a couple of months.

Scenario two everyone connected to the company's system by remote desktop so you could use any laptop you liked.


(Current ClientCo use own llimtedCo laptop for certain stuff directly for them and secure laptop for their end client. )

[vetran]

Depends on what you are linking to. Plenty of secure sites will only allow you to connect with their kit that they manage. A few of my colleagues have 2-3 laptops one from our employer and the rest from secure customers. This has been normal for decades.

[GregRickshaw]

I guess it depends on how you will be using your laptop to satisfy the end clients requirements?

In my experience the laptop you use now is just a dummy terminal and everything is done on the clients sites/network using their Jump boxes or RDP servers and it really doesn't matter what you are using to connect.

Local IT departments used to get proper nervous about personal devices coming on to their networks, with good reason.

I do find it a rather strange insistence in 2022.

[Paddy]

Just to focus on this point, I don't think it's normal - every contract I've had so far (inside or outside), I've always been issued with a client laptop because they don't want other devices connecting to their network.

Often managers have strict restraints on budgets and it takes a lot of red-tape to order a laptop for a contractor therefor, the use of a laptop is built in to your rate. If you are going to be a whinger, go back to being a permie.

[BlasterBates]

In my experience (all Outside work) it's been unusual for a client to insist on providing my own kit. Usually, as others have mentioned, for security reasons.

For this reason my own dev kit is fairly old now (never saw the point of getting the latest shiny kit if I didn't need it) so if asked I'd now need to update it.

I'd certainly be very surprised to be asked to do this on an Inside role, I'd either be asking for a large rate increase to cover it, or flipping them the finger and walking away. Bad enough to have to suffer an Inside role without having to provide your own kit as well.

[Edit] Just for the record, if needed on an Outside role I would of course update the company kit, but then that would go through the company. Paying for one out of my pocket for an Inside gig is just taking the proverbial IMHO.

Companies are moving to virtual desktops which is why they're increasingly not issuing laptops. In that case your out of date kit will be perfectly adequate.