 pnh102Reptiles Are Cuddly And PrettyPremium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD | Not Too Far Fetched People pay for their own gas to drive to work too.
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Blagojevich / Madoff 2012! |
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 jmn1207Premium
join:2000-07-19
Ashburn, VA | said by pnh102:People pay for their own gas to drive to work too. As long as they are entitled to receive tax breaks for the money they spend on their internet connection, it makes sense. If I used my car for work (not to get to work), as many people in sales tend to do, I would be eligible for tax deductions on fuel purchased and mileage driven. It seems like work from home employees should have the same home office deductions that self-employed, small business owners enjoy.
Now IBM is free to lay off most of their IT support team now that they can hand off the service calls to each employees' own internet service provider.  |
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 bencPremium
join:2007-06-17
Glen Carbon, IL
 ·Charter
| said by jmn1207:Now IBM is free to lay off most of their IT support team now that they can hand off the service calls to each employees' own internet service provider. I can see it now. Some employee will have a problem with their ISP. Said employee calls their ISP to complain, but it won't be fixed until Friday (or some day that's a few days into the future).
Then the employee is less productive, and not because they wanted to be lazy either. |
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pnh102Reptiles Are Cuddly And PrettyPremium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD | reply to jmn1207
said by jmn1207:As long as they are entitled to receive tax breaks for the money they spend on their internet connection, it makes sense. I would imagine that under existing law this is the case. Typically any purchase made with personal funds for work use that isn't compensated by work is tax deductible.
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Blagojevich / Madoff 2012! |
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 tschmidtPremium,MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
kudos:5
 ·Fairpoint Commun..
 ·Hollis Hosting
| reply to pnh102
I guess this was inevitable. When Broadband was rare and expensive made sense for companies to subsidize it. I assume almost all these folks will opt for broadband regardless of whether or not company pays for it. As pnh102  posted commuting cost is not reimbursed therefor it is reasonable to argue neither should broadband.
Sadly another perk bites the dust but not surprised.
/tom |
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My monthly bandwidth cost (10 meg) is definitely less than what I spend in gas. Makes sense to expect them to provide their own way to get to work. I sure as heck wouldn't complain if the company I worked for decided to let me work from home but wanted me to provide the PC and bandwidth. |
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n2ubp
join:2007-07-13
Middletown, NY | reply to pnh102
> Typically any purchase made with personal funds for work use that isn't compensated by work is tax deductible.
I think you only get to deduct work expenses if they are more than two percent of your adjusted gross income.
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said by tschmidt:I guess this was inevitable. When Broadband was rare and expensive made sense for companies to subsidize it. I assume almost all these folks will opt for broadband regardless of whether or not company pays for it. As pnh102 posted commuting cost is not reimbursed therefor it is reasonable to argue neither should broadband. Sadly another perk bites the dust but not surprised. /tom Depending on available ISPs and bandwidth needs, these people may be paying for more expensive business connections with faster upload speeds. If that is the case, it doesn't make any sense for IBM not to pay for them. Or at the very least pay the part above the cost of the residential service. But if the line it tax deductible in some way, this is probably just a ploy to make the government pay for part of it. |
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 TamaraBQuestion The Current ParadigmPremium
join:2000-11-08
Da Bronx
·Optimum Online
 ·Clearwire Wireless
| reply to pnh102
said by pnh102:People pay for their own gas to drive to work too. Yes. But companies pay for physical space for resident employees as well. No cubical, (at $50/Sq Foot/month they save a bundle) no desk, no phone, no office supplies, no trash to empty etc... makes a telecommuter a much cheaper employee, and a damn good deal for IBM.
Why is it so unthinkable that the employee share in some of this saving? Why such a biased emphasis on IBM, and none on the workers who make IBM profitable?
I find this attitude disturbing, especially coming from a worker.
Bob
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"If we believe absurdities, we shall commit atrocities." -- Voltaire
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Scuba2
join:2004-01-13
Under da sea | reply to n2ubp
It's the amount that is greater than 2% of your adjusted gross income and only if you itemized (schedule A ) your deductions ! |
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 MJimLayAKA FlexBaudPremium
join:2004-10-06
Pensacola, FL
kudos:2 | reply to benc
said by benc:said by jmn1207:Now IBM is free to lay off most of their IT support team now that they can hand off the service calls to each employees' own internet service provider. I can see it now. Some employee will have a problem with their ISP. Said employee calls their ISP to complain, but it won't be fixed until Friday (or some day that's a few days into the future). Then the employee is less productive, and not because they wanted to be lazy either. This is why you have a SOHO Connection. I have one and it's only about $20 more a month than regular broadband. I get a 4 hour response time from my ISP, better QOS, No Caps, etc. It's great.
I work from home and every company I've worked for made me pay for my own broadband, computer, etc. I don't mind it as I am going to have broadband anyway regardless of where I work... and I have so many spare computers that it's not an issue throwing one together to use for work only. |
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nitzanPremium,VIP
join:2008-02-27
kudos:2 | reply to Scuba2
said by Scuba2:It's the amount that is greater than 2% of your adjusted gross income and only if you itemized (schedule A ) your deductions ! Exactly. Which means it's NOT tax deductible for 99% of employees.
Not to mention even if you get to deduct it - you still need to pay social security and medicare on the amount, and possibly state income tax. Your employer can just straight-off deduct it as a business expense without all the crap taxes.
This is such a stupid decision. internet service reimbursement costs very little to the employer, and provides a real benefit (and satisfaction) to the worker.
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Nitzan Kon, CEO
Future Nine Corporation
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Compare VoIP Provider Rates |
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 joakoPremium
join:2000-09-07
/dev/null
kudos:5
·Comcast
| reply to jmn1207
said by jmn1207:said by pnh102:People pay for their own gas to drive to work too. As long as they are entitled to receive tax breaks for the money they spend on their internet connection, it makes sense. If I used my car for work (not to get to work), as many people in sales tend to do, I would be eligible for tax deductions on fuel purchased and mileage driven. It seems like work from home employees should have the same home office deductions that self-employed, small business owners enjoy. Now IBM is free to lay off most of their IT support team now that they can hand off the service calls to each employees' own internet service provider. Why? You use your car to "get to work" and that is not deductible. You use your internet connection to "get to your work" I don't feel it should be, either.
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PRescott7-2097 |
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jmn1207Premium
join:2000-07-19
Ashburn, VA | I don't have to take my car to work. It just happens to be the most practical for most people. If my job required me to drive a great number of miles, you can bet that I would expect to be compensated by my employer. Likewise, if my job requires that I have an internet connection and a computer, I expect my employer to compensate me. I get paid for travel expenses when I drive someplace for a work-related function.
Do you have a computer in your office? Did you have to bring your own? I have lots of computer parts in my basement, perhaps I should build a work computer and bring it into my office?
At the very least, it seems like a company such as IBM could look into getting group rates for business class service for the work at home employees. If you are specifically hired to work at home and the rules are specifically outlined before you are hired, I have no problem with that at all. However, if you have been working at home for several years, it does not seem fair to force their employers to cover these expenses. Without any white collar unions, there are no real alternative other than capitulating or quitting. |
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 bubbha
join:2004-03-20
Harrisburg, PA | reply to nitzan
Are you serious?!? 45k people on telecommute at $40 per month for their service is $1.8MIL PER MONTH... that's real money to me! You save on gas money and food by working from home... suck it up and pay your own connection! How many of those people piggyback on that company paid service when you know they would have high speed on their own if the company didn't pay for it or they actually worked at the office? |
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nitzanPremium,VIP
join:2008-02-27
kudos:2 | said by bubbha:Are you serious?!? 45k people on telecommute at $40 per month for their service is $1.8MIL PER MONTH... that's real money to me! You save on gas money and food by working from home... suck it up and pay your own connection! How many of those people piggyback on that company paid service when you know they would have high speed on their own if the company didn't pay for it or they actually worked at the office? Easy. Cut their salary by $40 - case solved.
They still net a better result because $40 after taxes is more like $25. |
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jmn1207Premium
join:2000-07-19
Ashburn, VA | reply to bubbha
said by bubbha:Are you serious?!? 45k people on telecommute at $40 per month for their service is $1.8MIL PER MONTH... that's real money to me! You save on gas money and food by working from home... suck it up and pay your own connection! How many of those people piggyback on that company paid service when you know they would have high speed on their own if the company didn't pay for it or they actually worked at the office? I suppose IBM can just provide an office, phone, and computer for those employees that decide not to work from home anymore? If they need to move closer to the office to make the commute more manageable, will IBM help pay the cost to move?
If they are going to change their work at home policy midstream, they need to provide some options. For IBM, it's just a quick way to make a buck and most employees won't make too much of a fuss about it. Most people want to keep their jobs, and working from home has many benefits that outweigh the lost compensation they once enjoyed.
It's exactly like a company that decided to start charging it's employees for parking outside the office building. It would suck, it wouldn't be right, it might even get it's own news story, but just about everyone would simply pay the $2 each day to park. Just like nearly all of the IBM work at home employees will simply grin and bear it. |
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pnh102Reptiles Are Cuddly And PrettyPremium
join:2002-05-02
Mount Airy, MD | reply to TamaraB
said by TamaraB:I find this attitude disturbing, especially coming from a worker. Heh. See I choose not to telecommute for the most obvious reason. If I can do my job 5 days a week from outside of the office, then that means someone in a foreign country making 10 cents an hour can also do my job 5 days a week from outside of the office.
Beyond that basic reason, I think that when most managers do not physically see you for extended periods of time... and I mean see you as be in the same room with you, not just talk to you on the phone or online, they instinctively think you are doing nothing, and are thus no longer needed at the company.
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Blagojevich / Madoff 2012! |
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jmn1207Premium
join:2000-07-19
Ashburn, VA | said by pnh102:Beyond that basic reason, I think that when most managers do not physically see you for extended periods of time... and I mean see you as be in the same room with you, not just talk to you on the phone or online, they instinctively think you are doing nothing, and are thus no longer needed at the company. A previous employer of mine had a surprise round of layoffs and nearly every single person that was let go was remotely managed. Some were work at home, others were simply working at a satellite office with many other employees, but their direct manager was located at a different location. So, I completely agree with this point. |
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tschmidtPremium,MVM
join:2000-11-12
Milford, NH
kudos:5 Reviews:
·Fairpoint Commun..
·Hollis Hosting
| reply to pnh102
said by pnh102: I think that when most managers do not physically see you for extended periods of time... and I mean see you as be in the same room with you, I agree, full time telecommuting can be isolating. I also found out doing consulting that "water cooler" breaks far from being a distraction and interruption were actually a positive source of inspiration and problem solving.
Telecommuting does not have to be every day. Working from home a few days a weeks is often a very good trade off for both employee and employer.
/tom |
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