So my company decided to migrate office suite and email etc to Microsoft365. Whatever. But for 2FA login they decided to disable the option to choose “any authenticator” and force Microsoft Authenticator on the (private) phones of both employees and volunteers. Is there any valid reason why they would do this, like it’s demonstrably safer? Or is this a battle I can pick to shield myself a little from MS?
I have no union and no leverage, they said no. What am I going to do, quit over using an app? My job pays my bills and I don’t have another one lined up, this isn’t the hill I’d die on.
Contact a lawyer that specialize in worker rights. If they make you use private property for work they should compensate you
You don’t live in reality if you think anyone is going to retain a labor lawyer and sue their employer over using an authenticator app without a phone stipend.
It doesn’t usually need to go to court if the lawyer can remind them of what laws they’re breaking
I’ve worked in the US for over 20 years and can’t imagine a single case where your plan would actually work without being retaliated against and fired a year or so later. I’m in both an at-will and right-to-work state. Again, if I were going to die on a hill and start an action against my employer that includes lawyers and risk losing everything, it would be for much higher compensation than 40 dollars a month.
Why quit?
Ask them for help installing the app.
Then bring in an early-2000s flip phone with your SIM already in it, so you can prove that you are using it.
An employer cannot demand that you buy your own work tools unless it is written into the employment contract (auto mechanics, etc.). Provide them with a phone that they themselves cannot install the app on. Any early-2000s feature phone will not have an operating system with app functionality. An older but still smartphone-like BlackBerry running BBOS10 will also work in this regard, especially if you have uninstalled the Amazon App Store.
Even an Android phone whose newest possible version of Android pre-dates the oldest version that this app will install on can also work. For example, any Android phone which cannot be upgraded past Android 7 would be perfect with respect to MS Authenticator, as the current version will only install on Android 8 or newer. If you bring in a phone that has no ability to have Android 8 or later installed, your place of work will either have to exempt you or provide you with a work phone for that app.
You have solutions to keep work apps off of your personal devices, and few employers will have the legal ability to force you to buy a modern phone just for an app of their choosing. Moreover, it is your right to not have to suffer unreasonable employer demands just to have a job. That’s why worker protections exist in places where conservatives haven’t eviscerated those protections.
Act like you are a smartphone-phobe, and let them figure things out.
Yeah, again I never said you were wrong, just not the hill I’d die on for 40 dollars worth of compensation, If I were going to agitate and apply pressure at work it would be for a significant compensation boost to the tune of tens of thousands of dollars. This won’t work for me as I’m in an senior level engineering position.
You do what you think you need to do, buuuuuut…
You are already exceedingly difficult to trivially replace. It’s entry-level devs which are a dime a dozen. Senior level engineering positions are frequently open for many months because candidates in general are difficult to find, much less good candidates.
Colour me biased, but I strongly think you are significantly underselling your own power and influence. Any company worth working for isn’t going to turf a senior engineer over a $40 stipend unless their middle manglement positions are staffed with morons.
Well, it’s your calculus to make, not mine.
Management is absolutely filled with morons, otherwise they wouldn’t be in management, they would be in engineering doing something worthwhile. So this literally happened. We used to get stipends and we moved to a new PEO (outsourced HR) and no longer do. Many people complained about it and we were told tough luck. We have to use the MS Authenticator App. True story: last year a lot of people started complaining and agitating and talking about the app and other things that disappeared and they did a disappearing act too in layoffs because sales were down last year.
The sales this year are in the toilet, I’m probably getting a raise this year but half the people at the company probably aren’t. I’m not going to start pushing around my weight and seniority over 40 dollars. I would do that over the minimum 11% raise I need this year to cover inflation instead. I do not live in a place with worker protections, I am a resident in the US in a state that allows employers to fire you with no cause (at-will) and union bust (right-to-work). My salary is way higher than an equivalent in other countries so for now this pays the bills and I’m incentivized to hold on to this at least until I know I have another opportunity or contract. Right now I don’t so I’m not going to be worrying about using my phone for work. Who fucking cares lol.