Reply to: Forced to take work laptop home

[psychocandy]

This. Carrying your client's equipment around several counties to keep it secure represents a service. If it isn't in your contract, don't do it. Or charge them for it.

When I was perm one of the guys I worked with got asked to bring a bit of kit home from a foreign country. It was a comms card for a carrier grade network node.

Anyway, turns out he needed the proper paperwork (import docs etc) for this thing which he didnt have. At the airport, they got hold of it and it was nearly finger up the arse time for him.

He wasnt impressed because employer knew full well the score and just couldnt be arsed and though it'd be easier this way.

[unixman]

Let me guess, is this HSBC ivory Canary Wharf towers?
Probably not. Ask your line manager for his or her private cupboard or locked cabinet and stick it in there.
This is a ridiculous situation. It is their equipment. They should insure and provide adequate facilities for employee or contractual usage, not barmy excuses and policies.

This. Carrying your client's equipment around several counties to keep it secure represents a service. If it isn't in your contract, don't do it. Or charge them for it.

[cronemeister]

leave it on the desk

Just walk out and leave it on your desk, shut down of course. It's their office, their desk, their laptop. If its nicked it's their problem surely !

Your post got me thinking though. I've just moved back to the UK from Australia but I'm still working for the company, and they've given me about $7000 worth of kit to bring back with me. Technically I'm still employed by them for the next month or so so I guess if something got damaged or nicked then I'm covered perhaps but will have to look at the longer term picture.!

Good luck finding a solution.

[Mincepie]

Genius!

I was once forced to go 10 pin bowling with colleagues (great). I was then going straight from there to meet my pals for a night out. I changed out of my work gear at the bowling alley and didn't fancy carrying my bag on a night out so I handed it in to reception and said I'd found it in the toilets.

Next day I went in and said "Did anyone hand a bag in?"

You could do that. Every day.

[rocktronAMP]

Like most places these days, I've been provided with a laptop by the client which I hook up to a docking station.

At previous clients, at the end of the day, I've either locked it in a drawer or it has been tethered to the desk by a cable.

Not so here - you have to take it home with you & it's a right PITA when you have a 2 hour commute by train & I've already got all my gym stuff, lunch etc to lug around. Rules out any option to cycle to the station too.

I was thinking of leaving it in a locker at the station overnight but it seems such facilities no longer exist. Anything else I can do?

Let me guess, is this HSBC ivory Canary Wharf towers?
Probably not. Ask your line manager for his or her private cupboard or locked cabinet and stick it in there.
This is a ridiculous situation. It is their equipment. They should insure and provide adequate facilities for employee or contractual usage, not barmy excuses and policies.

[SueEllen]

You could point out to them that YourCo. Ltd is not insured to cover client co. equipment and so cannot take rsponsibility for it outside client premesis, nor will YourCo. or any of it's employees be held liable for loss or damage occuring in such circumstances. If Client Co. cannot or will not provide secure storage for such equipment on site it is at their own risk.

Oddly the only arguments I've ever had in taking laptops home was when I was permie. The company was too cheap to insure their laptops of the premises. It was brought up because a guy I was working with got his front door kicked in and his own laptop stolen. We all made it very clear that if that happened we weren't responsible for the laptop.

As a contractor all companies have insured their laptops to take of site.

[jmo21]

Treat stupidity with the contempt it deserves. If they say they won't get you a matching laptop bag, laugh and say how am I supposed to carry it home.

Then ridicule any other suggestion that does not involve them giving you a laptop bag.

[unixman]

Then lose it or drop it and break it.

If they persist, lose it again.

Do this if you want a criminal record.

[SlipTheJab]

But taking a client laptop home in a plastic bag thinking it wouldn't break causing damage to clients equipment on day one? The Op had no other choice? None at all?

+1 FFS Pop out and buy a cheap holdall or rucksack for a tenner.

[northernladuk]

I can believe it. You can see the logic:-

we need a laptop.
Yep I know the current spec its ordered.
Did you include the mouse, keyboard, monitor, case
Oops...

But taking a client laptop home in a plastic bag thinking it wouldn't break causing damage to clients equipment on day one? The Op had no other choice? None at all?

[eek]

This is just stupid beyond words. To the point I don't believe it.

I can believe it. You can see the logic:-

we need a laptop.
Yep I know the current spec its ordered.
Did you include the mouse, keyboard, monitor, case
Oops...

[northernladuk]

ClientCo here provide a high-end laptop but have a policy of not supplying bags at all. When they wanted to me to work from home, all I could find to carry it was a cheapo supermarket carrier bag. Of course, it wasn't up to the job and the laptop ended up on the deck, damaged but repairable. They miraculously found me a spare laptop bag the next day, albeit a used one.

This is just stupid beyond words. To the point I don't believe it.

[Grasser73]

ClientCo here provide a high-end laptop but have a policy of not supplying bags at all. When they wanted to me to work from home, all I could find to carry it was a cheapo supermarket carrier bag. Of course, it wasn't up to the job and the laptop ended up on the deck, damaged but repairable. They miraculously found me a spare laptop bag the next day, albeit a used one.

[DaveB]

You could point out to them that YourCo. Ltd is not insured to cover client co. equipment and so cannot take rsponsibility for it outside client premesis, nor will YourCo. or any of it's employees be held liable for loss or damage occuring in such circumstances. If Client Co. cannot or will not provide secure storage for such equipment on site it is at their own risk.

Then lose it or drop it and break it.

If they persist, lose it again.

Eventually they will get the message.

[jmo21]

I was once forced to go 10 pin bowling with colleagues (great). I was then going straight from there to meet my pals for a night out. I changed out of my work gear at the bowling alley and didn't fancy carrying my bag on a night out so I handed it in to reception and said I'd found it in the toilets.

Next day I went in and said "Did anyone hand a bag in?"

You could do that. Every day.

That might be the stupidest thing I've ever heard, and I don't even mean the "you could do it every day" part.