HN Explorer

Ask HN: What is standard practice around issuing company laptops at a startup?

2 points by throwaway413 ↗ HN
New, used, refurb? Outright purchase or a lease program?

USA, not a remote company but WFH during COVID.

Engineers just use their own?

Thank you

4 comments

[ 4.2 ms ] story [ 27.9 ms ] thread
frenchie4111
Every place I know of issues laptops to employees. Might differ from city to city (I am based in SF)

EDIT: At my company we lease them new. Most places give new ones, and I think a lot of people lease.

chrisbennet
Do you suppose if that if they had you use your own laptop, you wouldn't have to worry about "working on company hardware" for IP purposes i.e. they couldn't claim your ideas unless you were working on company time.

Clarification: The company owns anything you make on company time or on the company laptop.

throwaway413
Interesting point to consider.

If the company is distributed, the idea of company time becomes even more vague, unless hours are explicitly defined.