Separating a Home Office from Personal Space

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Separating a Home Office from Personal Space

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Started 1 year ago by Betharu
Latest reply from Another Deb
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Betharu
Member

This may be a bit off topic but I am looking for some feedback -

I work as a Financial Consultant for several companies in the Philadelphia Area. One of my clients runs their General Contracting and Renovation company out of their home. It is a large home and recently, after his divorce, he has taken several boarders in. Most of these are young people - in their 20's - friends that he made thru his girlfriend when he was living in another part of town.

The third floor was previously dedicated to the business - with four rooms - two offices - one for me and one for the owner, a small kitchen/conference room, and a storage room. There is also a bathroom for the office.

He has now rented two of the rooms upstairs.

I have tried to impress on him the importance of keeping people out of the office - even have suggested that the office should be locked. There is financial information available, office supplies for the taking and computers which could be majorly messed up if the wrong person got on. Right now, I am looking across the office at one of his borders using HIS computer - I guess he neglected to log it off.

He considers all these people his friends and they are living like one big happy family. But, business is business and he needs to function this way.

HELP! I am not sure where to go with this.

Posted 1 year ago #
susanintexas
Member

If you are now sharing an office, this has very much become YOUR problem -- you have other clients and your (their) data and equipment has also become vulnerable. If you cannot secure it, you need to move. That threat might be enough to make him take you seriously.

As much as he may trust his boarders and think that a locked door symbolizes some sort of mistrust. If he doesn't want to sound like the bad guy in this, allow him to blame you. If he's just careless, this really isn't going to work.

Posted 1 year ago #
chacha1
Member

Belaru, I am unclear whether you also live in this client's home, or just had office space there (if so, his contracting business must be pretty darn successful).

I am inferring that the storage room became the shared office? Or is it now one of the boarders' bedrooms?

Agreeing with susanintexas, borders for the boarders are a necessity, and if the home/business owner just doesn't get it, you will need to take your office elsewhere. He may not care if people use his computer and "borrow" office supplies. But your materials, in particular, are extremely sensitive and must not be unsecured.

If you actually live in this house, I'd say it's time to find a new live/work situation for yourself. It would drive me batsh*t crazy in about a day.

Posted 1 year ago #
jbeany
Member

Sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen to me!

Posted 1 year ago #
irishbell
Member

I'm not sure if I understand clearly the situation, but this is my take.
As long as you have a separate office than can be locked, and they can't access your computer from a network, I would think you'd be okay. I don't know what you can do about his situation, especially if it doesn't affect you.

Posted 1 year ago #
Betharu
Member

I guess I should clarify.

I work in his office 2 days a week - doing the finances. I am sort of a "CFO on call."

I do not live there or have any other client work there - I have a home office and work in other client's offices.

My concern is more directed at him - and protecting his business. It is a difficult tact to take - hey, you want these people living in your house but I appear not to trust them in your office.

I take my job seriously - I am there to manage his finances and protect his business. I can do my job - lock up financial information, checks, put passwords galore on my computer. And I have taken all those steps - to a certain extent. There is only so much locked storage space.

But how do I impress this on him? Mr. F - this is a business. Your boarders/girlfriend should not be in the office. No matter how much you trust them - how much you like them - this is an office and it needs to be maintained professionally.

In the last few weeks - I have found - when coming in -
1 - empty food plates and cups - we have had a mice problem in the past
2 - dirty clothes left around
3 - personal notes and information faxed from the fax machine or on the printer

The above mentioned boarder - who was using the owner's computer when he left - was sitting at his desk where he had left [a] a proposal/contract with financial information and [b] most disturbingly, his new company credit card with a $20K limit.

I think I am fighting a losing battle!

Posted 1 year ago #
morfydd
Member

Yikes. Can you insist on more locked storage space for the things that are explicitly your responsibility?

Now might also be a good time to state in writing exactly what items are your responsibility (if it's not already in writing). While you're at it you can document that you think the offices should be locked and why.

As a boarder, I would *want* areas that are off-limits to be locked - I wouldn't want suspicion if something like that CC went missing.

Posted 1 year ago #
chacha1
Member

Yikes indeed. Betharu, what would happen if you just went to Mr. F and said:

"I cannot do my job under these conditions because, under these conditions, I cannot guarantee the security of your financial information. I want to continue our business relationship and therefore I am going to install a lock on the office door. There will be two keys: one for me, and one for you, and they will be non-duplicatable keys. Please tell your boarders that this office is not part of the common areas of the house, and feel free to attribute the new rule to my excessive paranoia."

I have found that sometimes, volunteering to be "the bad guy" can help people undertake the confrontations they have been avoiding.

Posted 1 year ago #
colleen fong
Member

I once worked in a colleague's home office that family members walked through and deposited their belongings in. Every time something couldn't be found I worried that I would be suspected and it made me uneasy. Once we moved to rented office space I felt much more comfortable. The information we worked with was highly sensitive and could have been damaging to clients if seen by others.
I advise you to confront your colleague about your concern, but since it is his property you don't have the right to install a lock. That doesn't mean you can't offer to handle installing one. Good luck.

Posted 1 year ago #
bobbinalong
Member

Ouch, that's a toughie. He may not want to come across as a jerk, but I think being open that this makes you uncomfortable and stressing to him what a liability it is is very important! I also work from home as a transcriptionist, so I definitely understand the need for privacy/security regarding other people's information. Everyone knows my work desk is off limits. The computers are not to be touched, papers from the fax machine are not to be gathered, and absolutely nothing leaves my desk area -pens, paper, etc. That being said, I do have a broken watch to be fixed and a large rubber snake on here *sigh*. I need to make myself say that stuff I've got to fix doesn't belong here either!

Posted 1 year ago #
Another Deb
Member

I would probably find a way to ease out of your obligation as this guy's employee. If he runs the rest of his business as unprofessionally as he runs that room, you might be finding yourself held responsible for missing money and fraudulent actions. Your gut instinct is right on the money, so to speak.

Posted 1 year ago #

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