I think I’m going to lose my job- please help

[Terrifiedterrance]

anyone Lost any work property? Laptop, phone, tablet? What happened? I’m terrified im having a panic attack- I don’t know what happened

Is the issue that there is confidential information on the device? Is there any chance of locating it? Please try not to panic too much, people make mistakes, it happens and it will be ok. Sending hugs xxx

What type of organisation do you work for? What have you lost? Those questions help to determine the likely outcome

Right, what have you actually lost? Is it lost lost or just that you have forgotten where you last had it?

Work should have appropriate security on it so even if found no one could access it. My workplace can remote access everything so they would take steps to disable it.

Unless you are secret service or have done something that means everything can be accessed it will likely be a stern talking to.

Have you followed any loss reporting procedures?

A colleague had a work laptop, phone and tablet stolen from his work vehicle after he left it unlocked. He had it taken from his wages. Luckily the laptop and tablet were encrypted.

My colleague lost his work phone. Nothing happened. I left my laptop on a train. Nothing happened

Breathe!
Have you lost sensitive company data? If so, get in touch with the relevant person NOW for damage limitation.
If not, I wouldn't worry too much. Everyone makes mistakes. Depending on your company it could be a stern word, a verbal warning and/or they could ask you to contribute financially to a replacement. I seriously doubt you would lose your job if there are no other issues with your performance.
hope it works out ok x

Recently someone left and didn’t return their laptop, someone from the firm not known to them bought it to regain the property.

Other losses have reported, but I am not aware anyone has been disciplined, unless they failed to follow policy (eg leaving in car overnight)

If Huw Merriman didn't lose his job then hopefully you'll be ok.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/rail-minister-huw-merriman-laptop-stolen-pub-london-strikes-b1061918.html

Ok. Stop. Breathe. One thing at a time.

Can you explain what's happened? Then we can advise.

Unlikely you'd lose your job, particularly in a medium to large size company. Report any lost property tomorrow morning if not done already.

It’s very very encrypted, and actually nothing on the phone except emails that you need 2 part encryption to get into, although technically could access HR systems and intranet, but again you’d need log ins.

literally no idea what happened to it, now my mind is making up all stupid scenarios. Did I take it out the house and drop it and not notice, did I throw it in the bin etc?

I’ve not lost anything sensitive but have lost an expensive piece of equipment and my work were fine about it, I had felt sick about telling my manger and really worked myself up about it over the weekend, then she was completely nonplussed about it!

ive only just realised it’s lost, I thought I’d misplaced around the house, you know and it had fallen down the side of the sideboard or under a sofa cushion but I’ve torn my house apart tonight and can’t find it and now I’m inventing weird scenarios in my mind as to what has happened as I just can’t remember

Is it a big thing or a little thing op? It might still turn up!

Op take a really deep breath. It’s not ideal that it’s lost HOWEVER this will have happened before. It’s part and parcel of taking work devices out of the work place that there’s a risk of something happening to it.

If it’s a phone can you download some ‘find my phone’ software and track its location?

In my workplace there wouldn't be a sniff of a disciplinary if this happened, it'd just be replaced. If it happened several times then someone might start asking questions.

I don’t know, that’s the thing, I can’t remember. Small handheld device, hectic day and I was quite frazzled and now I can’t find it. I’ve not been out out or anything. Few places been over the weekend and called just in case I had it In my pocket and it fell out (I never bring it outside of the house or office, frankly I don’t want to think about work whilst not at work) and they’ve not had it handed in. Battery has died, so can’t locate the device. Only realised today it’s missing, assumed it was where I normally Keep it and couldn’t find it, tore my house apart this afternoon and not a clue and now I’m wondering if I chucked it by accident, dropped it whilst taking the bins out , if the dog buried it etc

This is exactly what all the encryption on the phone is for. You'll be fine as long as you follow procedure - report it as likely lost as soon as possible as not doing so it what will get you in trouble. They can likely wipe it remotely.

I'm very senior in the NHS and it's happened twice. I've never lost my job.

First time I put my laptop bag at my feet in King's Cross station whilst I bought a coffee. Literally seconds. Looked down to pick it up, and it had gone. Stolen in the blink of an eye.

Second time I'd been in London, very busy conference, I was speaking, long day etc. When I got to my stop, I got off without it. And it was never found.

Both times the incidents were reported to the police, so if you haven't done this already, you must.

Of course, I had the "talk" about safeguarding the equipment, but I never once feared for my job. They are incredibly encrypted, perhaps if I was clinical I'd have worried a lot more, but I'm not and at best they would have seen spreadsheets which eventually end up in the public domain anyway in the board reports. But lessons were learned. I never put anything down in public places. And I check check and check again before getting off trains. I'm a lot more careful.

Mistakes happen, you're only human. Just own up to it.

Little thing not like a laptop or top government secrets but I use it every day. I’m worried it’s gross misconduct but it was a pure accident honestly if you gave me £1000000 I couldn’t tell you what’s happened

This would be fine at my work so long as you'd followed IT policies about locking, reporting.

When was the last date you saw it?

You just have to report it missing.

Yeah I've lost more than one work phone with access to highly confidential and sensitive records. They're pretty well encrypted so as long as no one cuts of your thumbs or you write your passwords on the back of it it'll be fine.
You'll probably need to fill a form in and send it to the data security team.
I found one I'd lost several weeks later under a rug under a coffee table (toddler), they couldn't just reactivate it, they'd done something to it remotely so it was basically an expensive paperweight

This happens, it’s part of issuing staff with devices.

Your employer will have a policy on what to do with a lost/stolen device. Follow this. If it has good security they’ll be able to wipe it remotely and all will be fine.