Work issued MacBook Pro

[retailacc]

Hello guys,

So I was just issued a personal MacBook Pro 13" and I was told that it is ok for me to carry it with me and even use for personal use, as long as I take care of it and I'm able to return it at a moment's notice.

Now, I currently own a 2017 entry level that I honestly would rather get rid of, as these are likely getting replaced soon in WWDC18. In addition, the new one is 100% identical but with quite more power. It really doesn't make sense for me to carry both, since I'm expected to take my work machine home. However, I do a lot of content creation on my own at home (YouTube, Freelance, Web Design, Coding, etc) and I wouldn't want to mix up my work stuff with my personal use.

I'm thinking that I could create a different account for personal use, but the apps that I install there I think would also show up under my work account? Additionally, I have an Apple ID for work and my personal, where I have Affinity Photo, Final Cut Pro, and Xcode from the Mac App Store that I would like to download. Would these be accessible from my work account?

And lately, perhaps a bit of a stupid question as I know that it is probably a gray area, but theoretically, the content that I produce on that work machine (even when not on company premises) would not be legally owned by my company, right? (Maybe I watch too much TV? -silicon valley, anyone?)

Anyways, sorry for the long write up and thank you in advance for reading all that!

 

[DeltaMac]

I think it would be a mistake to use your company-owned laptop for your own personal stuff, particularly if some of that is freelance stuff that you get paid for, unless your company is OK with you using the work computer to supplement your own income.
You should ask specifically if "personal use" includes "per$onal busine$$"

 

[prisstratton]

Personally I would suggest that you keep your own MBP so that you can keep everything completely distinct. The fact that you might be asked to return your work computer “at a moment’s notice”, does not sound like it would leave you time to separate your own personal work from your employers work.

The company that I worked for could take claim of anything I invented while in their employment. So, you might want to be careful in that regard. Check your company policy first and make sure you are absolutely sure of where you stand.

All companies are very different when it comes to such things and you really need to understand theirs and your position.

Irregardless of policy I would not do it, but I am a very cynical person.

 

[Banglazed]

I would urge you to strictly keep personal and business separately but you should be aware of your company policy on its computer usage. For instance, normally any communication or any information stored regardless if it is personal on a work issued computer is generally property of said company and subject to discretion of the company how it use its own property such as rights to monitor, examine or regulate any company assets. Also be careful, using the laptop for personal reason or gains or on "company dime", can be legally recorded and can be used against you.

At a "moment's notice" would really make you think that once requested you'll need to surrender or return the laptop at that moment and it is pretty uncertain if the company will give you time to remove your personal information or any information. Your personal info wouldn't be personal anymore, right?

Eventually, the computer will be returned and resigned to another employee or whatever the company see fit to use it.

 

[0002378]

I have been in a similar situation before, and I strictly abided by what others have suggested above me ^. - Keep work and personal computing separate; i.e., don't use the work laptop for personal stuff.

In addition to the reasons listed by others, I'll add that you don't want your personal info getting in your company's hands - sites you browse, your personal social media profiles, products you buy, etc. That would be my main concern.

Remember that the work laptop, after all, is the property of your employer. They have the right to do whatever they please with it. Wading through your personal info (for whatever reason they deem appropriate) is not out of the question.

 

[retailacc]

Thanks everyone.

I think you are all right. I'll just keep my own as performance was never an issue to begin with!

 

[hallux]

While likely not your situation - as a L2 tech at a large corporation I CRINGE when people ask me to be sure I save their PERSONAL work when working on their company-issued computer, including the folder containing their TAX RETURN! I can't tell you how many GB of wedding pictures, graduation pictures, other pictures of an even more personal nature (make your own guess), music, resumés, etc I've transferred for people when their PC wouldn't boot. While not looking for those items specifically, you can see the file progress and certain words or common folder names catch your eye.

I would absolutely keep personal and work separate. I do - the only personal item I keep on my work-issued computer is my password manager, and the passwords are locked by a long master password.

 

[Sterkenburg]

I second the above suggestions, keep personal and business separate. Especially since you already have another machine to begin with, it's a no-brainer. Even if your workplace's policies might permit personal use to a certain extent, they still own the device and all the data stored on it. As such they have the right to ask you to turn it in and see what's on it at any time. Just that thought would make me think twice about putting my own stuff there.

Personally, I used to mix the two only when I was working in academia/university (where we had an extremely lax BYOD policy with basically no restrictions), but in a private company, no way.