Stupid coworker

[pstylesss]

We have someone that needs a laptop for field work and a desk computer. I told him we should just get him a docking station and have him use the laptop as his main computer. Having both is a waste of money and resources. We can also use the computer in another location. It only makes sense to do this...

So what does my coworker do? He calls up the guy and asks him what he wants, since he is scared of breaking the laptop in his car he wants to have the desktop also. So my co-worker gives him the okay to have both. If he knows he will be SOL if he breaks the laptop he will be more careful with it... right?

I guess I'm going to have to make this a new policy. Am I wrong here?

 

[RESmonkey]

Deny the request if you're in a position to.

 

[nageov3t]

why is he scared of breaking the laptop?

 

[pstylesss]

Originally posted by: loki8481
why is he scared of breaking the laptop?

He is a field worker and in a truck a lot.

 

[pstylesss]

Originally posted by: RESmonkey
Deny the request if you're in a position to.

I am... kinda. My co-worker and I are equals. So I just need to make my case to our boss and request it be integrated in the new laptop replacement policy I am creating.

I don't want to go off the deep end with ridiculousness.

 

[MaxDepth]

Lay down the law. Two separate computing environments = hell. If you *must* then get him a palm and a desktop.

 

[middlehead]

Originally posted by: RESmonkey
Deny the request if you're in a position to.

This. I did PC purchasing at my last job and refused to do that type of thing. Pushed back against the department head who requested it, got sent to the COO, to the CFO, and to the CEO. He finally escalated it to the owner, who agreed with me.

This was a relatively small company though, so your connections may vary.

 

[DaveSimmons]

This is a good time to implement security and data backup policies for when the laptop is damaged or stolen. Don't forget to load it up with everyone's SSNs

FYI, Dell sells accidental damage protection for their laptops.

 

[pstylesss]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
This is a good time to implement security and data backup policies for when the laptop is damaged or stolen. Don't forget to load it up with everyone's SSNs

FYI, Dell sells accidental damage protection for their laptops.

This is also something I'm working on... I need to find something to use to destroy data on the laptops remotely incase they are ever stolen or lost.

 

[2Xtreme21]

We get this all the time-- I always love hearing people's justifications on why they, unlike everyone else in the company, can't carry a laptop to and from work and NEED to have 2. They usually concede when I ask how our CEO is capable of doing just fine with one computer, yet they aren't.

I love that our department is in charge of equipment purchasing / distribution... I just wish that every penny I saved the company from needless purchases went into my paycheck. I'd be a millionaire.

 

[PELarson]

Originally posted by: ZeroIQ

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
This is a good time to implement security and data backup policies for when the laptop is damaged or stolen. Don't forget to load it up with everyone's SSNs

FYI, Dell sells accidental damage protection for their laptops.

This is also something I'm working on... I need to find something to use to destroy data on the laptops remotely incase they are ever stolen or lost.

Buy him a pelican - http://www.casesbypelican.com/...laptop-case-series.htm
http://www.bitlocker.com/ for encrypting the whole drive.

 

[oddyager]

Originally posted by: 2Xtreme21
We get this all the time-- I always love hearing people's justifications on why they, unlike everyone else in the company, can't carry a laptop to and from work and NEED to have 2. They usually concede when I ask how our CEO is capable of doing just fine with one computer, yet they aren't.

I love that our department is in charge of equipment purchasing / distribution... I just wish that every penny I saved the company from needless purchases went into my paycheck. I'd be a millionaire.

Heh, my CEO has one phone registered to his extension for each of the offices he visits because hitting three buttons apparently is too much work. So he has like 10 cisco phones all for himself. What's hilarious though is that HE was the driving force behind having extension mobility capabilities on our phone system in the first place.

 

[ShockwaveVT]

My office gets by fine with everyone having only a laptop. We travel relatively often but the majority of our time is spent in the office with our laptops in a docking station w/ full size LCD, keyboard & mouse.

If he's (legitimately) worried about his laptop being damaged, get him a Toughbook.

 

[TheKub]

If he is that paranoid either get him accidental damage coverage or a ruggedized laptop. We have a few for our field workers in the Drain Commission and they are pretty damn tough.

 

[pstylesss]

Originally posted by: TheKub
If he is that paranoid either get him accidental damage coverage or a ruggedized laptop. We have a few for our field workers in the Drain Commission and they are pretty damn tough.

I have 30 itronix semi rugged laptops deployed to our PD and it's a love/hate relationship with those damn things. I don't think spending twice the amount on a laptop is necessary. He only really needs it when he is working on stop lights. If he breaks it, it's because he was being negligent, IMO.

 

[keird]

Originally posted by: PELarson
Buy him a pelican - http://www.casesbypelican.com/...laptop-case-series.htm

this

I'm im the Army and I put this thing through some serious torture in the last 4 years. Molten metal didn't even phase it, it just stuck to it.

 

[I Saw OJ]

Who cares if he wants a laptop and a desktop, do these purchases come out of your departments budget?

 

[nakedfrog]

What effect does that have on software licensing fees?

 

[pstylesss]

Originally posted by: I Saw OJ
Who cares if he wants a laptop and a desktop, do these purchases come out of your departments budget?

This time it does not as they did not make the budget request last year, so it is being pulled out of that departments budget. IT still makes the purchase. IT purchased the desktop he is using.

 

[pstylesss]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
What effect does that have on software licensing fees?

None really other than just doubling up all of our licensing for 1 user.

Apparently my coworker got to my boss first and made him think there was no reason to not let a user have two machines.... other than a $600 deskotp, 1200 laptop, 2 XP License, 2 Office 07 license, etc.


I'll be fighting this on principal :roll:

 

[thepd7]

Originally posted by: ZeroIQ

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
What effect does that have on software licensing fees?

None really other than just doubling up all of our licensing for 1 user.

Apparently my coworker got to my boss first and made him think there was no reason to not let a user have two machines.... other than a $600 deskotp, 1200 laptop, 2 XP License, 2 Office 07 license, etc.


I'll be fighting this on principal :roll:

Just write down the total amount on a piece of paper, probably around $1500. Then say "hey boss I just saved us $1500...or not, depends on your decision."

 

[alkemyst]

i don't know what you are paid, but probably not worth the time over just deploying both. We give tablets to our staff and they also have desktops. The whole docking station thing works well in principle but associates end up having issues with unpluging things they shouldn't and not docking / undocking properly.

If they need to work offline then the tablet is indispensible. They just need to synchronize properly.

 

[Baked]

You care too much about something that doesn't affect you personally the slightest. Drink some beer and chill the fuck out.

 

[pstylesss]

Originally posted by: Baked
You care too much about something that doesn't affect you personally the slightest. Drink some beer and chill the fuck out.

HA! It has a tremendous affect on me. That means I have to support 2 stations for one user. I had a clean up a big mess left here. I was constantly putting out fires. I was able to get ahead of the mess and get my buildings under control. Because of this I can nef all day. If I let it it get out of control I'll actually have to start doing work again.

 

[hanoverphist]

Originally posted by: MaxDepth
Lay down the law. Two separate computing environments = hell. If you *must* then get him a palm and a desktop.

i agree. i had both for a while and finally replaced my desktop with a good desktop replacement lappy. never been happier, no more synchs no more forgotten files uploaded. ive turned it into policy here as well, but im the only IT guy. i explained it to the owner and he agreed.