Probably the worst thing to be asked.

I've come to find the worst thing on the job is when a co-worker I helped in the past calls me directly in the IT department to ask if I know anyone who does computers who can help with a personal computer issue they're having at home. I get it - people have home office equipment and don't always know who to go to when there is a printer issue or they want to install a new PC or need help setting up a laptop or installing a home router. I feel for them becuase I know it's often complicated when you don't know what you're doing. But please, don't ask me to help. I'm paid to because I helpful and I enjoy my job. If you put your computer in front of me regardless of if it's a work PC or a home PC, i'm going to troubleshoot the shit out of it and get it operational ASAP. I enjoy doing that kind of stuff. I'm not going to outright tell someone no, or that I can't or I won't do something. If I have to work with this person every day, I don't want to get on their bad side by pushing them away. But I also don't want to get sucked in by helping. I do have boundaries. I know when I'm on the clock and it's normal work hours, I can't be expected to look at a personal device issue and it's against our policy. I also know as soon as I touch a personal device or issue, I then become responsible for anything that happens to that device afterwards. If I help someone upgrade RAM on their PC, or help them install a printer at home or fix a power supply, anything that happens to that equipment afterwards, I'm the one who is going to get called first. I don't want to be a personal go-to IT person. I want to get away from IT support when I'm off the clock. I don't want to get those calls after hours because Becky had me set up her new monitor and three weeks later her kid can't download Minecraft and they need someone to look at the computer. I don't want to be blamed because I was the last one to look at a printer and now four months later email is not working right and they need someone to come look at it. I get that it sucks when there's an IT issue and you know an IT person at work who could fix it. Because I very well can fix it and most of the time know exactly what needs to be done. I know if they try calling a local computer shop, which is my only other suggestion, they're going to spend a lot of time and be unfairly charged for simple IT work. But I also don't know who else to suggest to take a look if not me, because I'm the only person I know who does IT work and I don't need to know anyone else. So yeah, I just really don't like being asked to look at personal IT issues from other employees at work. It is thankfully rare that someone will bring something up, but it's very hard to say no, and it's even more of a challenge if I say yes. I'd rather people understand it's inappropriate to ask an IT person at work for their help on personal items.