Do you normally hand back company laptop during maternity leave?

[dilapidated]

I'm going on maternity leave in a few weeks and no mention of my laptop being returned.

I ring it home each day at the moment as I work in the evenings and sometimes stay working from home rather than in the office.

I mentioned it today to the office manage and she didn't know for sure but expected it to be handed back so that my maternity cover can use it.

My maternity cover has already started and is currently using one of the spare office Desktop pc's.

I won't be needing my laptop during maternity leave but did make it clear that I wanted to have KIT days, so I'm assuming they would want to contact me by email to keep in touch about that and for me to use the laptop when doing a KIT day.

Is there a norm?

[Metalhead]

I kept all my IT stuff (laptop, desktop, printer etc) during both maternity leaves, probably because it would've been more hassle for the company to get it all back and then reissue it to me later.

[Zebrasinpyjamas]

I kept mine and think that is pretty standard for laptops. However it stopped being useful after a while as our IT systems make you change passwords every 45 days when in the office so I was locked out.
You probably won't even check your work email after a couple of weeks as they stop being relevant very quickly (and you are busy doing other things obviously). I always assumed on mat leave 1 I'd try to stay up to date with work each week but it's too hard if you plan to take a few months (or more) without physically being present regularly .

[MrsJW15]

We have to hand back all office equipment (laptops and blackberrys etc) before we go. I'm pretty happy to do this - I don't want to be checking work email! They just ask for a personal email to contact you on for KIT days etc.

[GreenGoblin0]

don't understand why you would need your work laptop during mat leave. you don't need this to organise Kit days

[pitterpatterrain]

I kept mine, no point handing it back
But like a PP passwords have to change so often I am locked out now
I check my work email on my phone (work issued) i don't actually have a personal phone

[JigglyTuff]

I kept mine because it was issued to me and it's more of an admin headache to hand it back. I did have to reset my password when I went back though

[MrsCharlieD]

I gave mine back because I honestly didn't want to think about work and only use it for work purposes. Just did however keep my company car and really hope my boss will be generous this time round otherwise I'm going to have to buy a banger to tide me over and I'm used to a lovely BMW.

[DizzyDigestive]

I kept mine, no point handing it back for it to be reissued to me when I returned

[00100001]

We make ours hand them back, they're given to maternity cover.


Also the person isn't at work so doesn't need the equipment, and this helps us reinforce the fact that the very last thing we want people to do whilst on maternity (or other long term leave) is to be doing any work!

[OliviaStabler]

Ours have to be handed back. Such a faff if the person decides not to return to work after mat leave.

[00100001]

We set the laptops up as "blank" machines, to access anything of significance you have to remote in to our network.

Most staff don't store files locally, as we drilling it into them that the network is the only safe place and we cannot take any responsibility for lost data if they don't put it where we tell them

So it is easy for us Reissue them.

[00100001]

That too Olivia

We also make all staff sit through a laptop "induction" before they are issued.

Which is essentially an outline of the Acceptable Use Policy.

But no one can ever say "I wasn't told about x"

Because they sit through it and sign to say they've read, understood and agree with the policy

mean binary