# Equipment
The way you are equipped has a strong influence on the way you live your job. We'd like to offer what seems essential for any of our team members to have a comfortable setup.
Purchasing your equipment will happen in 2 stages:
- Our HR/Office Manager will order your computer and have it delivered to you quickly after you accept our job offer.
- Once you have started working at Meili, you will get to choose additional equipment.
TIP
🏙️ Office-office or home office? 🤨
Meili has offices in Paris but is very remote friendly, therefore we offer two choices:
- You can have your equipment at the office if you think this is where you'll be working most of the time.
- You can decide to be fully or mainly remote, and have everything delivered and set up where you live (and work).
Don't worry: if you occasionally want to come to the office, a desk, chair and spare setup will be made available to you.
# 💻 Choose your MacBook
The first item you should be focusing on is your computer. This is the only item we will be very prescriptive about. We offer several choices (all with at least 16GB of unified memory).
If you have a non tech job, you can also choose a MacBook Air.
You can choose a Qwerty or Azerty keyboard.
You should have selected your computer during the pre-onboarding. You should receive the laptop before your start date. There is usually a 3-4 weeks delay from Apple before the computer is shipped. We will order the computer and it’ll be delivered to your home address.
💫 If it’s not possible to order your computer from France to your country, or if the delay for shipment is too long, we may ask you to buy your computer from your local Apple store. Meili will reimburse you. You can also pay it with Spendesk if it’s possible to order it online.
# ⌨️ 🖱 🪑 Choose your additional equipment
The items you can have besides your computer for you to work comfortably fall under two categories: the must-have and the optional items.
# 💡Must-have items
These are the pieces of equipment you must have to work safely and effectively. You might already have those at home, in which case you don’t have to order them again (!). You can discuss this with your manager and our Office Manager during the first days of your onboarding if need be.
Here are the list of the items you must have, along with your computer:
- A desk
- A desk chair
- A monitor: ideally, one 27" screen or two 24" screens
- A headphone set with an integrated microphone
We recommend:
- LG 27" LED - 27UK670-B
- iiyama 23.8" LED - ProLite XUB2493HSU-B1
- Ikea Bekant
- Autonomous Smart Desk
- Fully Jarvis Desk
- Ikea Markus Chair
- Autonomous Ergo Chair
- AirPods Pro
- Bose QC 35
# 👍 Optional items
As long as you have all the "must-have" items, it's up to you to decide how to spend what’s left of your stipend. It might depend on what you feel is a priority and what you already have personally. Here are some examples of optional items you might want to look into:
- An external keyboard
- An external mouse/trackpad
- A webcam
- A microphone
- A footrest
- A support for your laptop
Read on to see how you can order your equipment, depending on where you live!
We recommend:
- Apple Magic Keyboard
- Macally Astand
- Logitech StreamCam
- Apple Magic Mouse
- Apple Trackpad
- Lume Cube Video Conference Lighting Kit
- Navaris Footrest
- Thomann Audio Technica AT2020
- Interactive Tablet Wacom Intuos S
# 🌏 International Contracts
# 💳 Procurement
We are offering a 1250 € stipend for all your equipment. You can use it all at once in a bulk order or in several installments when the need for another item arises.
Once you've chosen your equipment (MacBook excluded), here are the next steps:
- 📝 write down a list of your items
- 📧 send the list (links included) to your manager with @Laurène in cc
- ☝️ once your manager approves, make a demand of the corresponding amount (don't forget delivery fees) through Spendesk (opens new window)
- 💳 our Office Manager will approve the amount and edit a virtual card you can use to buy your items online.
⚠️ It's important to fill in the correct invoicing information:
Meili SAS
52 boulevard de Sébastopol
75003 Paris, France
VAT: FR88844156364
# ❓FAQ
Who qualifies for the equipment stipend?
Permanent team members and long-term exclusive contractors qualify for the home office stipend. Any other contracts will be dealt with on a case by case basis.
Can I add my own money to the stipend to buy better quality equipment?
For everything but the computer, yes. Provided all essential items are covered first.
What if I need equipment that is specific to my job?
If you need specific software or material, please discuss this with your manager. This will be dealt with on a case by case basis.
What about non-tech office supplies?
You can expense office supplies, including pens, notebooks, etc. Please be sure to check with your manager first, and keep the receipts for justification.
What do I do with my computer if I leave Meili?
You will be given the opportunity to buy the laptop at the fair market value depending on its age. If you do not want to purchase the laptop, you will be asked to mail it back to Meili, along with the accessories such as the case and adaptor. We will pay for postage.
Should I get everything as soon as I start my contract?
No rush at all. The stipend doesn't have a time limit.
What is the equipment update/renewal policy?
This is will be handled on a case by case basis. It depends on the type of equipment. Don't hesitate to talk about this with your manager when you feel some of your equipment needs to be renewed.
# 🇫🇷 French Contracts, based in France or Belgium
🔄 We changed the policy for French contracts in January 2022. If you remember older information with a stipend, it’s outdated 🙂 If you have any doubt, ping @Laurène to ask for clarification.
Meili is working with Fleex (opens new window) to deliver all the equipment to you, depending on your needs and the equipment you already have at home.
# 💳 Procurement
- Create your Fleex account or log in (opens new window). You should have an email from Fleex to create your account: if you did not get this email, ping @Laurène.
- Order the equipment you need in the catalogue. Make sure you have all the must-have items before you order optional items. You have a set number of points: be careful to prioritize accordingly! Every piece of equipment will use some of your points.
- Fleex will deliver the items to your home address. If it’s furniture (chairs and desks), Fleex will text you to arrange a set time for delivery, as they will assemble your equipment for you in the room of your choice. They will also take all the packaging back so you don’t have to dispose of it yourself. For the other items, TNT Express will deliver the package: you’ll have to be present (or someone else in your home/a building manager) to sign upon receipt.
# 🚚 How to change the pieces of equipment your ordered
If you changed your mind or find your new item(s) do not fit well in your home/setup, you have 3 days after the delivery to ask Fleex to take the item back. You’ll be recredited with your points and you can order something else instead.
As well as the possibility to return the items at once if they don’t fit, you can exchange your equipment twice within 24 months, for example if you’re moving and need a bigger/smaller desk or if your needs change.
You can exchange as many pieces of equipment as you wish during one exchange: for example, one exchange in which you send back your mouse will count as “one exchange” and one exchange in which you send back your keyboard, your mouse, your desk and your chair will also count as “one exchange”.
WARNING
♻️ Neither you nor Meili owns the equipment you’ll order through Fleex. We rent it and it’ll be redistributed to other people when you send it back.
# ✋🏿 What to do if you have a question about Fleex or what to order
If you have a question about your delivery, want to change some of your equipment, or need to change anything in your Fleex account, contact them directly! We at Meili won’t be able to give you any information on the status of your delivery or when your order is going to get to you: you’ll have the fastest answer possible by going through Fleex directly.
Fleex also has a nice questionnaire to help you choose a chair.
You can get in touch with a physiotherapist through Fleex if need be, for example if you suffer from back pains and need advice on the type of equipment you might need.
# ❓FAQ
Who qualifies for the Fleex equipment contract?
Permanent team members and long-term exclusive contractors who live in France or Belgium qualify. Any other contracts will be dealt with on a case by case basis.
Do I need to check with my manager before ordering something on Fleex?
No, just make sure you have every item on the “must-have” list (a desk, a desk chair, a monitor and a headphone set with an integrated microphone) before you order other items.
I need an item that’s not listed in the Fleex catalogue, what should I do?
You can get in touch with Fleex and ask them if they can add it to their catalogue: they’ve added a fair number of products this way! If it’s not something that can be available on Fleex (for example paper, pens) or a very specific product you need for your job, clear it with your manager and buy it with Spendesk once you have the green light.
Can I ask for a replacement if my item is damaged?
Yes, get in contact with Fleex to arrange it!
Can I buy the equipment if I want to keep it?
Yes it’s possible to buy the equipment from Fleex if you want to keep it. Get in touch with them: they’ll propose a price to you and you can accept or decline the offer.
Is the equipment new?
It can be but probably won’t! Fleex either recycles or reuses the equipment when it gets back to their storage. This makes the equipment more sustainable as it has many lives.
Why is Fleex only available for French contracts?
Fleex is not available globally yet. It’s currently available in Europe but not for most of our must-have equipment (desk, chair) which renders the point a bit moot. When Fleex (or Hofy (opens new window) or Firstbase (opens new window) or another company) is available in all or most the countries we have people in, we’ll examine it.
Can Meili see what I ordered on Fleex?
Yes, the HR team has access to the equipment you ordered and your exchanges. We’d have deleted the items from the catalogue if we didn’t want you to order them: feel comfortable to order any optional item you want with your points! We want you to have a setup you’re happy with.
I was speaking with a coworker and it seems they have more items than me/I have more items than them in the catalogue. How come?
We set up Fleex in January 2022. Before that, we had a stipend policy where people had a set amount to spend on equipment. To make the transition as fair as possible, we made three different groups on Fleex depending on the amount of the stipend that people had used up: 0-20%, 20-70% and 70-100% of the stipend.
What happens to the equipment I ordered if I leave Meili?
Fleex will arrange a time with you to come and get your equipment back. They’ll bring boxes and such if you don’t have any. It’ll then be either recycled or distributed to other people who use Fleex.
What do I do with my computer if I leave Meili?
You will be given the opportunity to buy the laptop at the fair market value depending on its age. If you do not want to purchase the laptop, you will be asked to mail it back to Meili, along with the accessories such as the case and adaptor. We will pay for postage.
I have a piece of equipment I ordered while the “stipend policy” was in place but now I’d like to exchange it with something on the Fleex catalogue. What’s the process for that?
We’re working with Fleex to make a how-to, keep an eye on this page. Careful, at the moment it’s not planned to credit you with Fleex points if you do this.