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Original poster

Disciplinary forTaking Work Laptop Abroad?

59 replies

good96 · 14/01/2023 18:46

I’ve just seen someone post on Facebook that they received a final written warning for taking their work laptop abroad on holiday! Has the world gone bonkers? I have taken my work laptop before abroad when I went away for 2 weeks and everything ok…
but this just seems unjustified?

OP posts:

Sparklingbrook · 14/01/2023 18:47

It all depends. Were they on holiday? Was there any need to take the laptop? Is the laptop only allowed for work? Why did they take it?

PuttingDownRoots · 14/01/2023 18:49

I presume it depends on the usage policy. DHs is solely for work and can only be used connected to known safe networks (his phone, our home WiFi, his work network). Connecting it to unknown networks (like a random hotel) or downloading non work stuff isn't allowed.

Ohgodthepain · 14/01/2023 18:50

What else have they done wrong if this is the final written warning?

FarFlungFlamingo · 14/01/2023 18:51

I've worked places where special authorisation was required to take work laptops abroad as it can be a security risk.

TimeToFlyNow · 14/01/2023 18:51

We have to get permission to take the work laptop abroad and its unlikely to be given. it has to be connected to known safe networks as a pp said

Would think it depends what you do and what information is kept on the laptop

Doyoumind · 14/01/2023 18:51

For a final written warning to have been issued, there will have been previous issues. It's not that they were a model employee and this suddenly happened. Unless you mean they've been dismissed for gross misconduct by breaching their contract?

Lessonsinchemistry · 14/01/2023 18:52

I can see scenarios where this wouldn’t be allowed, eg did they just decide to start working from abroad (eg on holiday) and not tell anyone? I can’t imagine my boss being too happy about that. Also at my company the IT department like to make sure you’re not in a country where information is insecure and can be accessed. Depending on the country I believe there are tax implications if you are deemed to be working there and not in the UK so having your laptop on could implicate you.

MrsOnions0 · 14/01/2023 18:53

It could be to do with the organisations data protection policies, where data is held, sent (to/from) and stored. Depending what area of business some commissioning/procurement clients stipulate this is their contracts. Plus Brexit has had an impact upon this too with us no longer being EU, “rules” have changed

Thesealsknowsheismagic · 14/01/2023 18:54

You think the world has gone mad based off a Facebook post (which will probably cause them to be dismissed) when you have no idea of the details.

Some companies have really strict rules regarding laptops and where they can be taken.

UsingChangeofName · 14/01/2023 18:56

Agree with @Thesealsknowsheismagic

But am also wondering why you would want to take your work laptop on holiday

HadEnoughOfBears · 14/01/2023 18:58

With our company there are lots of people who have families abroad and they are allowed to go home for up to 3 weeks a year and work from home there. But it has to be documented and agreed before they go.

Whatineed · 14/01/2023 18:59

UsingChangeofName · 14/01/2023 18:56

Agree with @Thesealsknowsheismagic

But am also wondering why you would want to take your work laptop on holiday

My line manager recommended we all take our laptops on holiday out of the country last July/August, when our country Covid numbers started creeping up. If there had been a lockdown across Europe we wouldn't have had to use extra holiday if we could log in and get work done. We can use a hotel WiFi to log into the company VPN, then we are secure.

MolesOnPoles · 14/01/2023 19:00

If they work with sensitive data there will be very strict rules about how that is taken care of. It may also be important that it stays in the UK so that it’s governed by UK law or (depending on what she does) national security reasons.

The fact that she’s posting this on FB suggests that data privacy isn’t top of her mind.

Nicecow · 14/01/2023 19:01

Might be a security thing if its stolen, there's probably a valid reason for it; if that's the rule then that's the rules? 🤷🏼‍♀️

LubaLuca · 14/01/2023 19:07

I don't think my employer would be thrilled about me taking their equipment on holiday for no good reason. It's not a security issue or the fact it's abroad (I travel for work and need to take my laptop with me, this isn't a problem), it's the use of and unnecessary risk to their equipment for personal use that they'd be unhappy about.

Why didn't they take their own equipment if they wanted it for watching Netflix or whatever?

Jubilee67 · 14/01/2023 19:20

I'm not allowed to use my work laptop for personal use - even though I work on it every evening ( planning lessons). There are other rules too - such as not allowed to leave it in the car. I wouldn't dream of taking it with me on a UK holiday let alone abroad.

Ilikewinter · 14/01/2023 19:24

We have very strict rules on laptop use outside of the office, I would be in a whole world of crap if i attempted to log on abroad. In any case why would anyone take a work laptop in holiday with them?!

FatAgainItsLettuceTime · 14/01/2023 19:25

That would be against our policies for several reasons:

1 - what if it got lost, damaged or stolen while you were on holiday
2 - Data geolocation requirements. Some countries/clients contractually require that their data is only processed in certain countries. If you access it from a country that's not approved then you will breach contract on behalf of your company
3 - Privacy laws requires you to only process data for reasons and in locations that have been declared and that data subjects have given their consent to. So processing data while on holiday could mean processing in a country that doesn't have adequate security measures or where consent hasn't been obtained

KILM · 14/01/2023 19:27

Final warning... so clearly they are dense enough to not know policy before this incident! If nothing else, wouldn't they stop and think 'hmm, if this gets lost/damaged, how does the insurance work?' before going?

FictionalCharacter · 14/01/2023 19:29

I’m not allowed to do this with my work laptop. The policy is very clear and if I still did it I’d deserve to be in trouble. Plus if I was on holiday it would be obvious I’m not using it for work purposes. They didn’t give it to me to do personal stuff.
If it’s a final warning she’s obviously a repeat offender, so I have no sympathy.

NashvilleQueen · 14/01/2023 19:30

Totally depends on their job, where they went to and the company policy. Potentially a massive security breach.

LordEmsworth · 14/01/2023 19:31

Final warning and... they posted about it on Facebook?! Not the brightest spark, I take it ...

HunterHearstHelmsley · 14/01/2023 19:32

In my organisation, we can work from abroad bit a process has to be followed and it has to be authorised. Going against this would be a disciplinary issue.

Previously, we couldn't take our laptops abroad at all.

WolfFoxHare · 14/01/2023 19:33

Are you sure it’s not that they actually booked one week off on leave and went away for a fortnight, spending the second week ‘working from home’ ie actually doing a few hours here and there from their hotel room and occasionally checking emails from the poolside?

HunterHearstHelmsley · 14/01/2023 19:33

Ilikewinter · 14/01/2023 19:24

I'd hazard a guess they were on holiday but not on annual leave..

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