Here’s an interesting weekend read. According to an article by MIT Technology Review, there are lawsuits being filed over PC Boot Time. Let’s say you’re expected to begin working at 8am. You get in at precisely 8am and the first thing you do is push that power button on your PC. Unless you have Splashtop, you’re going to wait a while to commence your work. So, you head over to get a cup of coffee, say hi to your co-workers and grab that morning doughnut. Well, it’s been about 5 minutes now. I bet your computer is about ready to use.

As you’re walking back to your desk, you notice your boss giving you the stink-eye. “What?” you think, “I’m waiting for my computer to boot up.” Sure enough it comes up in your yearly review. You’re not “getting to work” when you get to work. And that’s the big question - are you “working” as your computer is booting? Or, should workers be required to come in earlier to boot up your computer so that you can commence work on time? From the article…

During the past year, several companies, including AT&T Inc., UnitedHealth Group Inc. and Cigna Corp., have been hit with lawsuits in which employees claimed that they were not paid for the 15- to 30-minute task of booting their computers at the start of each day and logging out at the end. Add those minutes up over a week, and hourly employees are losing some serious pay, argues plaintiffs’ lawyer Mark Thierman, a Las Vegas solo practitioner who has filed a handful of computer-booting lawsuits in recent years. …

The solution is so simple. It makes me sad that so many resources have gone into fighting this workplace lawsuit. Everyone should have Splashtop. There you go. It’s that simple. If employees all had Splashtop enabled computers, they’d barely be able to get their jacket off before they were ready to be productive. Another problem solved. Have a great weekend!