BYOD: Should You or Shouldn’t You?

In order to meet the demands of the modern-day office, many companies are asking their employees to use their own smartphones or other mobile devices for company purposes. This allows them to stay connected while on the road or at home while reducing costs and allowing employees to use a device they are comfortable with.

While there are a lot of things your should like if your company institutes a BYOD policy, there are also significant concerns when using your own device for work, like always having to make sure your kids don’t accidentally delete all your important emails.

Below are a few positive and some things you need to keep in mind if your company has a BYOD policy.

The good news

If your company has a BYOD policy, you get to decide which shiny device(s) you want to use for both work and personal use. Using your own device also means using an operating system and device design that you are comfortable with.

A BYOD policy also helps you be more productive and have more flexibility. If you need extra time to tie up loose ends or a work-related idea strikes you late at night, you have access to the corporate network from your personal device in the comfort of your own home. You can also take care of work matters anywhere there is a Wi-Fi or cell phone signal.

Finally, a BYOD policy facilitates communication among employees, who are much more likely to text or message each other if they only have one device for both work and personal use.

Things to consider

Data loss is one of the biggest concerns for employees who use their personal device for work. When your employer has a BYOD policy, there’s a good chance your company uses integrated features and additional programs to secure and handle the data in your device. While security and control are genuine concerns for the company, most BYOD programs count on IT tools that don’t make a clear distinction between the personal and the professional. Typically, in case of unauthorized access, the entire content of the device is deleted, bricking the device.

You also need to be concerned about privacy. From a legal perspective, the fact that you own the device is insignificant in the event of a lawsuit. To discover and protect evidence, the court may mandate forensic report on all devices in reference to the lawsuit. Workers taking part in the BYOD program may be instructed to turn over devices for examination. In this case, you would be legally mandated to make any personal data in your devices accessible. This also includes the personal data of any family member or third party who may use that device.

Are you looking for a new opportunity?

Contract workers can often find navigating the policies of a particular company to be challenging. At Software Management Consultants, we work with our contract employees to guide and support them through the various policy challenges they might face. If you are looking to partner with a company that provides this level of support, please contact us today.