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Right tool for the job: roles which make you bring your own equipment to work

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While it might not seem entirely fair, there are a lot of jobs out there which force employees to bring their own equipment to work. This will usually be made clear before you start a role, and employees work hard to make sure that their team is able to get their hands on the gear they need, but this can still make working a challenge. If you want a job like this, you’ll need to make sure that you have all of the gear before you get started. To help you out with this, this post will be exploring some of the roles which require this, giving you the chance to get a head start in your role.

Contract Labour

Contract work is usually much stricter than normal jobs, and the field of labour is no exception. There are loads of people working in roles like this, and many of them have to provide their own equipment before they can start a day of work, making it tricky for those who are entering their role without much money to spare. You can find some examples of the sort of gear you might need for a job like this below.

Boots/Shoes: When you’re working in an environment with heavy objects and machinery being used, steel toe capped boots can make a real difference to your safety. Accidents which could have resulting in toes coming off will be reduced to something minor, and these sorts of shoes can also make it safer to work around chemicals, too. You may have to provide your own boots, though many employers can source them for you, and they will be much cheaper than normal shoes. 

Other PPE: Personal protection equipment comes in many different forms. Luminescent jackets, face masks, and goggles are all great examples of this, and employees will often have to provide their own gear when they need it. This is something which a lot of people ignore when they first start working, putting a little time and effort into making sure that they are wearing the right PPE, but many employers will force you to buy this equipment yourself. Companies like PPEsuppliesdirect.com can help you to do this affordably.

Theft is a fairly common occurrence on building sites so it pays to get tradesman insurance.

IT & Office Work

It’s becoming increasingly common for normal people to work in offices, and loads of companies are opening this sort of workplace. Most offices will provide the equipment you need, though it’s becoming increasingly common for smaller businesses to ask their employees to bring their own equipment into this sort of role. Not only does this make things cheaper for the business, but it also makes it less challenging to keep workspaces secure, as they won’t have a lot of expensive machinery lying around.

Computers: It can make a lot of sense to have someone working with their own computer when they are in an office. They will be able to take this machine home, will be used to using it, and it won’t cost the business anything to have them do this. Of course, you will need a laptop for this, and it will need to be fast enough to handle simple tasks. In most cases, this should be achievable with very little investment, with most modern computers being able to deal with emails, spreadsheets, and other office work.

Smartphones: Some companies will give their employees smartphones, while others will make them use their own for their work. These devices enable teams to receive emails, communicate with one another, and can make life much easier when you have a team which his always on the go. Of course, though, employees have to pay for this, and this isn’t always fair, even if you already have a smartphone to use.

Working From Home

More and more of the jobs people are doing in the modern world are being handled from the comfort of their home. Never before have there been so many jobs which fall into this category, and it’s becoming increasingly common to find roles which are done partly in an office, and partly from home. When you work like this, you need to provide a lot more than normal employees, and this can cost a small fortune.

A Work Space: Those who work from home will need to provide themselves with a good workspace to handle their job from, with shelter, heating, and light being essential features of a space like this. You may also need a desk, chair, and other furniture to build your workspace, and this means that you will have to find room for them in your home. It’s always worth making sure that you have a good space to work from, even when you are comfortable at home.

Tech: Like many modern offices, those who work from home will usually have to provide their own computers. You don’t need anything too fancy, but it will need to be up to date and running the software you need. Alongside this, though, you will also have to provide things like an internet connection, a phone line, and even security to make sure that your place isn’t at risk. This can be an expensive process, and a lot of people won’t want to spend this much money to be able to do their job.

Driving Jobs

Driving is a popular career choice, giving employees the freedom to do something they enjoy, while also making it possible for them to choose their hours and enjoy a flexible role. Of course, though, alongside this, a career as a driver can also be an expensive one, and many people aren’t able to make it affordable. You can find some examples of the things you will have to spend money on as a driver below.

The Car: The car you drive will be the most expensive part of this. Many employers expect their drivers to have their own cars, and this makes it tricky for a lot of people to get into a role like this. Companies like Uber, for example, have very strict requirements for the cars which their employees use, and this means that people have to spend a small fortune before they can do jobs like this.

Insurance/Tax: Most countries have strict rules in place which dictate the type of insurance a car has to have. While some employers will cover this, many will leave it to their team members, and this will only get more expensive when a car is being used for business. It’s always worth checking to make sure that you will have help with this in a driving job, as you won’t benefit from the extra cost in your day to day driving. Take the time to compare quotes for your car insurance to find cheaper cover.

Repairs & Maintenance: Keeping a car in good working order can be an expensive and time consuming process, with many people unsure of what they have to do to keep their machine running. Many employers will give their team members expenses for this, though this will rarely cover the true costs of keeping a car on the road. If they have covered your insurance, this is less of an issue, but a lot of companies don’t take this route.

With all of this in mind, you should be feeling ready to take on the challenge of finding roles which don’t make you provide your own gear. If you don’t have any choice, it can often be worth getting your equipment before you apply, as this will make you look like a better employee.

If you bring your own tools/equipment to work, tell us how you find it in the comments below. Would you recommend a job that requires it?

 

Career CamelRight tool for the job: roles which make you bring your own equipment to work

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