Question for those of you who use Office and Outlook: my employer has Outlook email and it's very intrusive - it regularly tries to make itself the default for saving Office files on my home computer, as well as asks me to install a OneDrive backup from the Work account that would save all my personal laptop files (you have to click out carefully, the default being to back up). I do not want my employer to see ANYTHING I have on my home laptop. For this reason, I use only Web email rather than the OneDrive or Outlook installed on the computer, and try to avoid touching onedrive here whenever possible (other people send stuff I have to review in this method).
The employer began wanting to see things on my home laptop this summer (due to my specific employment responsibilities) and I've had problems ever since, including that all Microsoft programs claimed I no longer had an access key, and now have demanded a re-install and constantly have issues. Does anyone know a good way that I can accomplish work and email on my home computer - I want to be able to use my email but not have to worry about Microsoft communicating information from Office files and activities on my computer back and forth to OneDrive or outlook accessed via the webpage. Ultimately I assume everything I am doing work-related is public, but it's imo terrible that my personal files and family's information or files can be accessible to the employer this way. In the office, obviously, they can and do "remote in" to your machine to update things and look at whatever you're doing (or, frankly, they could always do this physically but now it's much simpler).
Outlook and Microsoft Office
Re: Outlook and Microsoft Office
Also- and I know there's a way to change it- but I'm tired of outlook always opening every email link in Bing. I hate Bing. And then I go change it, because I hate Bing and all, and then the next time there's an update to Outlook, what happens? Shit starts opening in Bing again.
My solution to your issue, Phoebe, because I had the same problems, was that I just had my work give me a computer to use at home. I don't use it for personal stuff. Even though i'll check my gmail and stuff on it (like I would in the office)- I do that all through the browser.
My solution to your issue, Phoebe, because I had the same problems, was that I just had my work give me a computer to use at home. I don't use it for personal stuff. Even though i'll check my gmail and stuff on it (like I would in the office)- I do that all through the browser.
Re: Outlook and Microsoft Office
I started typing a long time ago and just got back to finish it now. I agree with Kyle.
I am appalled when any of our employees regularly do company work on their home device. I mean, I get it, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, and if it's a rare event reserved for unusual circumstances, that's completely different. But if meeting the demands of your job regularly requires you to do work outside the office, then it should be incumbent on the employer to provide the resources to do that.
I get that they often don't, but they should, and you should ask. The institution I work for (the State of Nebraska) has recently addressed this by replacing virtually all individually assigned computers with laptops. If you never leave the office, the laptop is plugged into a docking station, and everything functions exactly as a desktop computer would. BUT, if you have to work outside the office, you unplug a single cable and take the laptop home with you. And they've even assigned an extra monitor, keyboard and mouse to keep at home for just such occasions. We have a VPN setup that allows full secure network access from any Wi-Fi connection. If a person doesn't have WiFi at home (rare) or regularly has to work in places without WiFi (common) the state assigns them a work phone or mifi unit to use as a hotspot. Before this, we used to rely on a different software that allowed users to securely remote to their office computer, but that was more costly and less efficient.
If you can't get some sort of concession out of your workplace, and you feel you absolutely have to work from home, I'd recommend you buy a cheap laptop or even a cheap desktop if you don't care about mobility. And then never mix your personal business with work. Because yeah... they don't give a fuck about your privacy. If you have an Office 365 account through work, don't use it on your personal device. Pay for your own subscription if you feel like you need it.
If they expect you to keep up with work email during off hours, limit it to web-based outlook only. And you might even want to install a whole separate browser that is just for that. If you use Chrome or Edge or whatever as your primary browser, install Firefox and only use it for checking work emails.
All of this sucks, because no matter how you handle it, it means you have to have multiple devices around keeping work and home separate when there really SHOULD be a good way to keep them separate on one device. There's not. At least nothing simple and foolproof.
I am appalled when any of our employees regularly do company work on their home device. I mean, I get it, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do, and if it's a rare event reserved for unusual circumstances, that's completely different. But if meeting the demands of your job regularly requires you to do work outside the office, then it should be incumbent on the employer to provide the resources to do that.
I get that they often don't, but they should, and you should ask. The institution I work for (the State of Nebraska) has recently addressed this by replacing virtually all individually assigned computers with laptops. If you never leave the office, the laptop is plugged into a docking station, and everything functions exactly as a desktop computer would. BUT, if you have to work outside the office, you unplug a single cable and take the laptop home with you. And they've even assigned an extra monitor, keyboard and mouse to keep at home for just such occasions. We have a VPN setup that allows full secure network access from any Wi-Fi connection. If a person doesn't have WiFi at home (rare) or regularly has to work in places without WiFi (common) the state assigns them a work phone or mifi unit to use as a hotspot. Before this, we used to rely on a different software that allowed users to securely remote to their office computer, but that was more costly and less efficient.
If you can't get some sort of concession out of your workplace, and you feel you absolutely have to work from home, I'd recommend you buy a cheap laptop or even a cheap desktop if you don't care about mobility. And then never mix your personal business with work. Because yeah... they don't give a fuck about your privacy. If you have an Office 365 account through work, don't use it on your personal device. Pay for your own subscription if you feel like you need it.
If they expect you to keep up with work email during off hours, limit it to web-based outlook only. And you might even want to install a whole separate browser that is just for that. If you use Chrome or Edge or whatever as your primary browser, install Firefox and only use it for checking work emails.
All of this sucks, because no matter how you handle it, it means you have to have multiple devices around keeping work and home separate when there really SHOULD be a good way to keep them separate on one device. There's not. At least nothing simple and foolproof.
Any time the solution is "banjo rifle", I'm in 100%.