When my work laptop broke six months ago, I immediately reported it and requested a replacement through IT. Despite multiple follow-ups, nothing was done. Eventually, my manager casually told me to use my personal laptop for work, insisting that “everyone does it” and acting as if I was being unreasonable for questioning it.

I wasn’t comfortable with that. My personal laptop contains private files, photos, and sensitive information, and I knew there were company policies regarding data security and where business files should be stored. When I raised my concerns, my manager laughed and told me I should be grateful just to have a job.

Rather than argue, I documented everything. I gathered copies of my IT requests, unanswered emails, and messages where my manager instructed me to store company data on my personal device. To protect myself, I forwarded all of it to HR in case any future issues arose.

The response was immediate. HR contacted my manager the same day, and her attitude changed completely. It turned out the company took equipment policies, employee rights, and data security far more seriously than she did. Now a company laptop is finally on the way, and while things are a bit awkward, I feel I simply set a reasonable boundary and stood up for myself.