Personal equipment at work

The Luke · Jun 20, 2016

Do any of you provide your own tools and equipment for work? I was asked recently to bring in my personal weedeater to help clear up to some telephone poles in order for a coworker and myself to be able to measure them. The other guy has no problem doing this, because he's been doing this forever. He also makes double and a half what I do. But, he lives in a condo and doesn't have any lawn equipment.

I am all about going above and beyond for your work. I won't hesitate to break my back for my job. But, I've always believed you have to draw the line in the sand somewhere, until financially it makes sense.

TBItoy · Jun 20, 2016

Re:

If it's a one time thing, I wouldn't sweat it.

Tax write off

The Luke · Jun 20, 2016

That's kinda how I feel. I just know how that can quickly turn into "well, you brought it that one time, can you bring it every day?"

TBItoy · Jun 20, 2016

Re: Re: Personal equipment at work

The Luke said:
That's kinda how I feel. I just know how that can quickly turn into "well, you brought it that one time, can you bring it every day?"

Then buy a badass commercial trimmer that you always wanted and write it off too.

Is this for an actual job site/install, or grounds up keep at the office?

The Luke · Jun 20, 2016

Job site.

If that's the case, they asked me to mow 3 acres also. I'm also going to need one of them fancy kubota diesel zero turns. Just saying.

pholmann · Jun 20, 2016

I would do it once with my own weed eater. Once! After that I'm sorry mine is broken. You may need to buy one if you want me to do it again.

kushKrawlin · Jun 20, 2016

If you don't need one and I was you I would buy the biggest piece of **** From a pawn shop or something.. Your talkin bout 500 buks for a new one. Well maybe 400. If it's something you're going to have to do more than once get a jug of round up quick pro and torch everything.. Won't have to weedeat for a while.

rpf500 · Jun 20, 2016

pholmann said:
I would do it once with my own weed eater. Once! After that I'm sorry mine is broken. You may need to buy one if you want me to do it again.

Agree.....just once

Tell them you had to borrow it the first time so if they need you to do it again, you'll need to buy one and be reimbursed 100% for it. I see it all the time at work. The old saying "give an inch and they will take a mile"....holds true. As companies get slow and try to find ways to lower cost, they have to do more with less. Just be careful they don't take advantage.

Elliott · Jun 20, 2016

Surely the boss has one at home he could bring in

truckbroke · Jun 20, 2016

Hell with this... Tellem get his own weed eater... Kinda like the Boss saying "You gone eat yo cornbread" at lunch.. " :JRich:

get yo own cornbread.."

5BrothersFabrication · Jun 20, 2016

truckbroke said:
Hell with this... Tellem get his own weed eater... Kinda like the Boss saying "You gone eat yo cornbread" at lunch.. " get yo own cornbread.."

This. X10000000. My work does this **** all the time, but I get mine too. They asked to use my bender (they kiss FedEx's ass by taking on stupid fab projects), the tube they ordered was 1-5/8", so I made them buy me a die for it. When the tube got there it was galvanised fence post, I knew the **** wouldn't bend, and they spent more than they would have on 1-1/2 or 1-3/4 HREW. Maybe they'll ask me next time before ordering **** they have no idea about.

Got a free $300 die out of it though! :woot:

kmcminn · Jun 20, 2016

I wouldn't be using my weededeater at work. No way.

xjmarc · Jun 20, 2016

I use my own hand tools, meter, buttset etc but the company supplies our drills, ladders and such. Company before this I supplied everything even my truck but I was considered a contractor.

j-mox · Jun 20, 2016

I would look at it as do you ever use any of the company tools for personal use, no matter how small, or take home a bolt or screw for a project at home. If so I would call it even and just do it. Now if it becomes a regular use then the company needs to buy one for jobs as they would any other tool to get work done.

I leave work early most days if we are relieved by the next crew coming in and they come out from their team meetings early. So on days they are past my scheduled time to go or if I miss a break during the day it's no big deal. I figure it all evens out at some point.

poolman · Jun 20, 2016

j-mox said:
I would look at it as do you ever use any of the company tools for personal use, no matter how small, or take home a bolt or screw for a project at home. If so I would call it even and just do it. Now if it becomes a regular use then the company needs to buy one for jobs as they would any other tool to get work done.

I leave work early most days if we are relieved by the next crew coming in and they come out from their team meetings early. So on days they are past my scheduled time to go or if I miss a break during the day it's no big deal. I figure it all evens out at some point.

That's exactly how I feel, I've used my personal tools when I worked for other companies and I've used there tools on my personal stuff.
I had a issue with one of our service vans a week ago and the tech offered to drive his own Truck, he didn't but that made me realize just how far he'd go to help the company.

grcthird · Jun 20, 2016

I've always had to use my own tools at work, mainly just how it goes in auto repair and construction. The only real problem I have with it is when I had idiots that I used to work with use and break my personal stuff. That's when anything that wouldn't fit in my tool box went back home and the shop had to buy all that stuff. Sure is nice not having that problem anymore. Anyways, I would do it and write it off at tax time.

kboring · Jun 20, 2016

j-mox said:
I would look at it as do you ever use any of the company tools for personal use, no matter how small, or take home a bolt or screw for a project at home. If so I would call it even and just do it. Now if it becomes a regular use then the company needs to buy one for jobs as they would any other tool to get work done.

I leave work early most days if we are relieved by the next crew coming in and they come out from their team meetings early. So on days they are past my scheduled time to go or if I miss a break during the day it's no big deal. I figure it all evens out at some point.

Thats what employers like to see. Wish I could find more guys like that! Good attitude right there

The Luke · Jun 21, 2016

Got to one of the poles he wanted me to weedeat. Believe it or not, that's a telephone pole. Vines grew up and out of it. I kinda figured it would be something like that. Good way to tear up a weedeater.