TikTok user Jutay Wilson (@liljehu) previously went viral for quipping about the implicit meanings behind the different computers a company gives its employees. He has gone viral again, this time for making a connection between a company’s pay structure and whether you’re expected to work with your own devices.
Wilson says that besides being “cheap,” employers may want their workers to utilize personal devices for another reason: There’s a heightened chance that they’ll get work out of you when you’re supposed to be off the clock.
@liljehu Replying to @bevbowks25 ♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – Kevin MacLeod & Kevin The Monkey
He breaks down the logic of his claims in the short TikTok video.
“If your company wants you to use your personal laptop for work, not only are they extremely cheap and you probably will never see a bonus or a pay raise, they also want to be able to get in touch with you at any moment of the day,” he says. “And they know they have a higher probability of accomplishing that if you’re using your personal device because you’ll likely be logged in off-hours and probably will see the message and respond.”
According to Apollo Technical, folks who work from home are purportedly 47% more productive and ultimately clock in more hours. And, theoretically, if you don’t turn off your notifications for work-related apps, you might take a gander at an email, Slack, or Teams message while you’re walking out of the gym or getting a meal with friends.
Many viewers agreed with Wilson’s message. Some even pointed out the additional issue that folks using personal devices to handle private information for a business may pose data threats.
“Such a huge security risk why would any company do that?” one commenter asked.
“This is so facts I’ve had one job that wanted me to use a personal laptop and this is exactly how it went,” a second stated.
“Yep mine make me use own laptop and own phone for client calls,” a third wrote. “Also own iPad for zoom calls. They’re now knackered. And no payrise.”
Some users disagreed, however, and defended companies that ask employees to use their own devices.
“Ngl I prefer my devices,” one wrote.
“Or they are a start up and cannot afford to. There’s nothing wrong with that,” a second suggested.
“This is false,” another stated. “I’ve gotten the biggest bonus of my career with a BYOD company. They also gave me $1200 to buy a device.”
Other TikTokers said that even if a company wants you to use your own device, you could create separate profiles to log into that you only use during work hours. Once the work day ends, log out and then use your personal device for all of your own needs.
“That’s why you create a separate work account,” one commenter suggested.
“No because i only have a desktop and i would use an isolated hard drive and separate os installation for them,” another wrote.
The Daily Dot reached out to Jutay Wilson via Instagram direct message for further comment.
