In a tight labor market where companies constantly tout “employee perks,” it’s easy to forget that many expenses currently borne by the worker should actually be covered by the employer. As the lines between work and home have blurred—especially with the rise of remote and hybrid environments—employees have silently absorbed costs that fundamentally support the business’s bottom line.
If your company is truly committed to valuing your contribution and supporting your productivity, here are 13 things your job should absolutely be paying for, not coming out of your personal budget.
1. High-Speed Internet and Utility Surcharge
When working remotely, your reliable, high-speed internet connection is fundamentally a necessary business tool, not a personal luxury. You should not be responsible for ensuring the company has seamless connectivity to run its operations. An internal report by the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) recommended a standardized monthly stipend of at least $75 for all remote knowledge workers.
Furthermore, running a laptop, monitor, and home office lights for 40+ hours a week adds a measurable burden to your personal utility bills. Companies should provide a guaranteed monthly surcharge to cover the differential cost of robust connectivity and power consumption, as these costs are directly tied to company productivity.
2. Ergonomic Home Office Equipment
Your employer is legally and morally responsible for ensuring you have a safe and comfortable working environment free of occupational hazards. This mandate absolutely extends to your remote work setup, as poor ergonomics can lead to long-term health issues. You should not be paying hundreds of dollars out of pocket for a certified ergonomic chair, a standing desk conversion, or professional-grade external monitors.
These items are foundational, essential tools that prevent repetitive strain injuries, optimize your output, and directly benefit the company’s bottom line by maximizing your productivity. A healthy employee is an efficient employee, and providing this equipment should be a standard capital expenditure.
3. Professional Development and Certifications
Any course, certification, or specialized training program that is either beneficial to your current role or helps you stay current with industry-specific technology should be 100% employer-funded. This includes tuition, examination fees, and any necessary travel. An analysis by the McKinsey Global Institute found that companies that proactively invest in reskilling experience higher employee retention and greater organizational agility.
Investing in your skills directly strengthens the company’s future capabilities and competitive edge. If a certification is required for your department to meet a specific standard or adopt a new technology, the cost is a critical business expense, not an optional personal educational fee.
4. Noise-Canceling Headphones or Headsets
If your job involves frequent virtual calls, client meetings, or work in a non-traditional office environment (such as a shared home space or an open-plan office), high-quality noise-canceling equipment is essential. It ensures clear communication and provides the necessary focus to handle complex tasks. Poor audio quality in a client meeting reflects poorly on the company, not the employee.
Therefore, providing high-quality headsets or noise-canceling headphones is beneficial to the company, ensuring professional clarity and minimizing disruptions. It should be treated as essential IT equipment, provided by the company, replaced when necessary, and not charged to the employee.
5. Wellness and Mental Health Subscriptions
Beyond standard, reactive health insurance plans, modern companies should offer specific, dedicated support for employee well-being as a proactive measure against burnout. This includes fully paid subscriptions to mental wellness apps like Calm or Headspace, or generous allowances for subsidized gym or yoga memberships. Research published in the Journal of Occupational Health Psychology found that dedicated wellness stipends significantly reduce self-reported stress and improve overall job satisfaction.
These investments are essential to an effective retention strategy, directly addressing the pervasive sense of instability and exhaustion among the modern workforce. Prioritizing mental health should be viewed as a strategic business advantage, and the employer should fully bear the cost.
6. Co-Working Space Memberships (for Hybrid Workers)
For remote employees who occasionally need a dedicated, professional workspace or who live too far from the main office for a daily commute, the company should cover a local co-working membership. This offers a change of scenery, fast, stable internet, and the ability to conduct sensitive or complex meetings in a private setting. This provides flexibility while maintaining professionalism.
It is unfair to require employees to use public coffee shops or spend their own funds to maintain a professional environment when the office is unavailable or impractical. The cost of co-working access is an affordable expense for the company that vastly improves employee productivity and morale.
7. Upgraded Cyber Security Tools
Your personal computer and home network become a critical company asset and significant risk vector the moment you connect to the corporate server. Any necessary upgrades to enterprise-grade antivirus software, VPN licenses, or advanced data security monitoring tools should be handled and paid for entirely by the IT department. Employees should never be asked to finance the protection of the company’s data personally.
This is not a perk but a mandate: the company must protect its intellectual property and client information. Relying on an employee’s personal budget for core security measures is both irresponsible and a fundamental failure of corporate governance.
8. Work-Specific Mobile Phone Plan Costs
If your role requires you to use your personal cell phone for frequent work calls, client communication, or accessing email outside of office hours, your employer must provide financial compensation. The company should offer a generous monthly stipend to cover the proportional cost of your mobile plan. Alternatively, the company should provide a dedicated corporate phone with all usage costs fully covered.
Forcing an employee to use their personal minutes and data to conduct company business is effectively an unpaid wage reduction. All business communication expenses are operating expenses that should be fully reimbursed without hassle.
9. Business Travel Essentials (Luggage, Global Adapters)
Necessities for corporate travel, such as professional, durable, carry-on-sized luggage, high-quality global power adapters, and travel-specific electronics insurance, should be purchased and owned by the company. These items are required to execute travel and are not personal gifts. Frequent travel also subjects personal property to greater wear and tear, warranting corporate provision of durable goods.
Expecting employees to purchase the tools required for their mandated travel—especially items that meet airline carry-on or security standards—is an unnecessary financial burden. All travel-related expenses, including the necessary gear, are direct costs of doing business.
10. Clothing and Uniform Allowances
For any job that requires a specific uniform, industry-specific safety gear, suits for client-facing roles, or branded apparel, the employer should fully cover the cost. The dress code is a company requirement intended to support branding, safety, and professional image. Employees should not be forced to invest in non-personal, job-specific attire.
Furthermore, a generous annual allowance should be provided for roles that require frequent replacement of high-quality business attire due to heavy client contact. This investment helps maintain the company’s professional image and is a justifiable operating expense.
11. Subscription Services for Work (Software, News, Data)
Any subscription to industry journals, specialized software (e.g., Bloomberg terminals, advanced cloud services, specific design programs), or premium news sites required for you to execute your job effectively should be charged directly to a company account. If you need the service to produce value, the company must pay for it. The employee should never have to pay out of pocket or maintain the license for essential tools.
These subscriptions are foundational inputs for knowledge work; treating them as anything other than a necessary business expense is a form of subsidized labor. A streamlined process for direct payment ensures no employee is operating with inadequate tools.
12. Food and Snack Stipends for Late-Night or Intensive Work
If you are required or genuinely expected to work late, attend working dinners, or perform intensive, time-consuming tasks outside of regular core hours, the company should provide a generous meal stipend or full reimbursement without question. This is a minimal gesture of respect for an employee’s time and effort. Employees should not incur personal costs to meet corporate deadlines.
Additionally, well-stocked office pantries with healthy snacks and beverages should be standard in any physical office. Providing basic sustenance during extended work periods acknowledges the sacrifice of personal time and helps prevent burnout.
13. Adequate Personal Liability and Errors & Omissions Insurance
Depending on your field (e.g., legal, finance, engineering), the risk of professional errors or litigation falling on you personally can be significant. Your employer should fully cover or provide access to robust professional liability or Errors & Omissions (E&O) insurance that protects you in the event of a mistake made during the course of your employment. This is a standard measure of protection for the worker.
Placing an employee in a role with high financial or legal exposure without company-funded professional protection is irresponsible. The company, which is the primary beneficiary of the work, must bear the risk and cost of protecting its personnel.
This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial advice. Consult a financial professional before making investment or other financial decisions. The author and publisher make no warranties of any kind.
