To think is a ridiculous request (work)?

If you don't return the items will the charge you and remove funds from your final pay?

Tell them you're pregnant and you can't risk carrying heavy equipment

No, you aren’t a courier company and not insured for courier work. Clearly state they are free to collect at a convenient time.

They haven’t a leg to stand on once you show you were reasonable.

Just say no. Escalate it to their manager, and HR, and ask for a courier to be arranged to collect. It's a small cost to them. Your manager is being petty and vindictive.

Your boss is being a twat! Is it a big company with an hr department?

If so stop arguing about it now. On your last day return anything that you can reasonably take on the bus (laptop, phone etc). If your boss says anything say a vague “oh yes, I know you asked, but I couldn’t take a monitor on the bus”.

When you get home that day email hr with a nice email about having enjoyed working for the company. Send a list of things at yours, give your address and some suggestions of days/times and ask them to arrange a courier.

Take anything little back on last day like laptop, mouse, keyboard.

if you are being asked to carry a monitor then you may need a risk assessment and manual handling training. Remind your boss that if you get injured carrying it that the company will potentially be liable which will cost them more than a courier.

I’d refuse and health and safety grounds. Ask what happens if you hurt yourself doing it?

They have to think (and talk to their lawyers) about what they are going to do if you refuse. They have a right to have their equipment back. However, if they make a claim for it which says essentially "We asked her to return it, she said yes and that she would make it available for us, we didn't want to collect it" they will literally be laughed out of court.

Your manager's reluctance to pay for a courier is his problem. You are leaving the job, and what he wants or does not want is never going to be your problem again.

Bring in your laptop and anything small. The rest just write that you will make it available for collection on x y z dates.
You are under no obligation to bring it back. They delivered it and so you have a reasonable expectation that they will pick it up.
Check also the policies around leavers, it may state something there but many companies have forgotten to update since Covid so if it's silence then back the point. It's not reasonable for them to expect you to pay or return in person.

I would ask them...
"When are going to collect your equipment from my flat that which you previously delivered? Alternatively I can dispose of it on, your behalf, through Freecycle or Facebook?"

I would take in the things that are reasonable to carry, to show willing, but tell them you can't return the larger items because there's a health and safety risk involved in you carrying them on public transport, plus a risk of damaging the items.

Sounds like boss is unhappy you're leaving and trying to punish you by making you return equipment. As PP suggested tell them the reasons you didn't collect equipment still apply and therefore they need to collect it - they set the precedent so they need to abide by it.

They also have just changed their tune this morning from offering to pick it up because my boss said no. They should never have offered then.

Who offered? Are they higher up in the company and/or can over ride your manager? If you have HR then contact them and perhaps imply your boss is showing bullying behaviour (which he is) over this matter.

But yanbu if they delivered.

What are we talking about? If it’s a laptop and mobile phone then you can take it in, if it’s desktop and monitors then how would you do it? Do you have a car ?

What equipment are you talking about? A laptop, keyboard & monitor or a desk & chair?

In principle I think they should collect it whatever it is but how far you push it will depend on what it is and what your contract or work policy says about what you have to do when leaving.

Ask if you can pay a third party to return it? You are keen to support local enterprise and there's a delightful chap in your street, he lives in a skip and you'd like to give him an opportunity to work in the 'lugging hefty shit about' industry.

This.

Hi boss & HR Manager
The equipment was delivered to my home by the company in recognition yhat it would be unreasonable to request that I collect it & take it to my home via public transport.

My circumstances remain as they were when I started with the company and the equipment was delivered.
I will work with the company to facilitate collection from my home to return the equipment. [However, I will not attempt to bring it to the office in person via public transport.]

Tell them to come and get it. Absolutely no way I'd be lugging stuff on the tube / train etc.

It’s their equipment. If they want it, they get it. If they can’t be bothered to collect it they obviously don’t want it back that badly..

Will you be able to expense your travel expenses? Can you invoice for chaperoning a monitor on the bus, as it cannot travel alone?

Also, while you are housing, and no longer using the equipment, charge the company for storage.

It also sounds like you will need some manual handling training so you don't get injured. When will your boss be arranging this and will you be paid for the time it takes to complete the training?

If you can't physically manage it, then just tell them that a courier needs to get it or they need to cover the taxi fare.

Completely unreasonable to expect you to lug it all in on the bus/train or whatever.

I would ask if the equipment is insured for damage when delivered/returned by someone who is not an experienced courier, thus has no insurance of their own to cover, for example, when the flimsy carrier bag snaps and something heavy and expensive falls into the gutter.