Bring your own device (BYOD)

What is BYOD?

Bring your own device (BYOD) is a workplace policy that encourages employees to use their own personal device for work-related activities.

Examples might include the use of a personal mobile phone or laptop.

Bring your own device is not without issues, but it does have a number of benefits:

Employers have reduced technology spend
Employees have a reduced learning curve, as they are already familiar with the technology that they will be using
Employers who would not otherwise be able to afford to have the option of implementing flexible working.

Disadvantages of the bring your own device model include:

Data control — employers may not be able to remove confidential data from an employee’s device in the event of them leaving or breaching data control protocols, and they may find it more difficult to deal with 'insider threats’ (where an employee uses their authorised access, intentionally or unintentionally, to do harm to an organisation).
Device control — the employer’s IT team will not be able to mandate the make, model and firmware of employees’ devices
The employer’s IT team may have to provide technical support to a wider number of devices.
Work-life balance may become an issue as employees cannot as easily shut off work communications at the end of a working day.