Issues with Home Office Expense Ranges

[LisaRourke]

We are having issues with the range of home office expenses employees are charging. Some are purchasing home office chairs for $60 and some are purchasing home office chairs for $200. Are people finding that stipends for home office furnitire and equipment works? Or an approved listing of home office furniture and equipment that is ok to buy? We need some type of policy to reign in this spending if this is going to be the office of the future. 

[jnoble99]

We have contracted office vendors and employees are directed to purchase thru our vendors as we have limits already established.  If the employee cannot find what they are looking for with the vendor, he/she is to submit the item they would to purchase to their supervisor for preapproval.  If the employee completely went around the system, it is up to their Supervisor/Accounting on whether the employee will reimburse the company or if a one time warning will be issued instead.

[JackFan]

We also have contracted office vendors for office supplies and we have a purchase order system for it. All purchased must be approved by direct manager.  We ususally don't allow office supplies to be entered in Concur. 

[ewheele]

We are not allowing expensing of office equipment via T&E / Concur.  Currently, we are pointing all inquires to our Sourcing contacts and like the others, they are likely working with Suppliers to facilitate what is needed.  I must note that we are phasing in return to offices extremely slowly with PPE, spacing, and new associate guidelines.  So, only those areas that will be permanently home-based, if any are believed to be truly permanent, are likely being looked at mass purchases.

[MadieRoediger]

Our HR department has established guidelines for employee home office equipment. They are only eligible if they were hired as 'remote' employees. Thus, the employees we have working from home right now due to the pandemic are ineligible. We do allow employees to use their corporate cards for these purchases and allow them to go through Concur, but the direct manager must review, and then I review as well. If the employee wants to choose a more expensive desk/chair/filing cabinet, that is fine, but we have them reimburse the company or split the purchase so they are paying for the remainder.

Madie Roediger

Accounting Examiner

[tanglin]

Thiss appears to be very unrealistic since the pandemic is affecting everyone despite the timeframe that the hiring was done.  They definately need to revise this spolicy.  It should be the ame policy across the board.  Did your HR receive a backlash fo rdoing so from the staff?

[Nancyagfa]

I have a similar policy to Madie in my company.  We even allowed some employees to take home their desk chair but it needs to be returned when they come back to the office.  Those on temp home assignment are also required to order their office supplies from our provider on their account so that all items can be tracked. Those hired specifically in the field follow the policy they were hired under.  This includes internet reimbursement not being given to those who have an office to return to.  They are saving on other costs and are using a commodity that they had anyway.  While this may seem harsh to some, it is only fair to consider they have savings from not traveling to the office.