Disciplinary forTaking Work Laptop Abroad?

[good96]

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?

[Reugny]

I've only ever worked for one company where I could work from any EU country I wanted while the UK was in the EU.

All other companies/organisations stipulated I had to work from the UK due to data security, national security and/or financial regulations. With the latter I was working with people across the globe but certain data couldn't leave the UK so they had no access to it.

Every single company/organisation has made me do GDPR, data security and financial regulation courses on it so I could get sacked if did so as some of the courses have been yearly.

Oh and it's a breach of company/organisation rules to post about the disciplinary on social media.

[MountedbyHarryWindsor]

Sounds as though the person expected to go on holiday whenever they liked, work from beside the pool, and that would be fine - no need to tell boss / get annual leave booked in. Wrong!
Also as PPs have said, there's likely to be all sorts of policies around security.
Some behaviour at work can be so serious it goes straight to final warning.
I'd never complain on social media as that in itself, if found, could consititute another warning. Plus its always one sided.
Are you the laptop user OP?

[strumpert]

I don't know why you're so surprised

[FKATondelayo]

If you work with intellectual property eg publishing this would be a very serious breach of any copyright / antipiracy policies. Also potential data protection issues, especially if moving outside territories governed by GDPR.

I've absolutely no idea why anyone would take their work laptop on holiday without permission.

[AnneElliott]

It would be a disciplinary for us - in civil service. We can't take our work phone or laptop abroad without permission.

[Namechangingagain111]

I work for a large UK company and it's a sackable offence to lose our laptops....

[Littlewhitecat]

I'm a civil servant and it's a sackable offence for me to take my work phone or laptop overseas unless authorised. This is made very clear to everyone in my department.

[GlassBunion]

My husband had a work laptop. He was never allowed to use it for pleasure. Only for work usage. He wasn't even allowed to take it out of the house! ( wfh) To be fair there was a gadget that monitored it very closely but his job involved high levels of security.

A final written warning sounds like previous breeches of security /unauthorised usage happened.

[Unescorted]

I have no data on my work laptop but would still be sacked if I took it out of the country. Our IT policy clearly says don't and the consequence is immediate dismissal.

[Newjobformoremoney]

This is totally acceptable. Firstly, do they have insurance for the laptop abroad? More importantly there is really strict data stuff about moving data abroad and outside the EU. I allow staff to take laptop abroad mostly, but it really depends on the location and I make sure they are responsible for their insurance which will cover the laptop. You also can’t just take company property abroad without telling anyone!

[TimeToFlyNow]

@Wiluli

I do , but I have very little info on the actual laptop as most in on the work severs .

That's different then

Although this guy could be on holiday but saying to work he's wfh , we don't know because op never came back

[Outfor150]

@Wiluli

I do , but I have very little info on the actual laptop as most in on the work severs .

And the laptop connects to the work servers from abroad… It’s hardly secure. M workplace wouldn’t even let you log on, I think.

[Outfor150]

We definitely couldn’t take one abroad. We are not allowed to work abroad, so there’s no need to take a laptop abroad. IT can tell if you are working abroad too.

[Wiluli]

@TimeToFlyNow

Well that depends what you do surely ? Mine aren't going to be upset by a laptop or phone being broken but some of us work with sensitive personal information so can't just take it where ever we want .

I do , but I have very little info on the actual laptop as most in on the work severs .

[TimeToFlyNow]

@Wiluli

My work wouldn’t care at all . I even broke 2 in the last 3 years by mistake but be a kid accident and they don’t care . Probably a excuse to sack her , I would imagine

Well that depends what you do surely ? Mine aren't going to be upset by a laptop or phone being broken but some of us work with sensitive personal information so can't just take it where ever we want .

[Wiluli]

My work wouldn’t care at all . I even broke 2 in the last 3 years by mistake but be a kid accident and they don’t care . Probably a excuse to sack her , I would imagine

[FatAgainItsLettuceTime]

@Sparklingbrook

But doesn’t final mean it’s the last of something? Otherwise it’s just a warning. Final warnings where I work come at the end of other warnings.

No it just means there won't be a second warning. It's a 'do it again and you're done' message. As opposed to 'please don't do it again! Oh ok you did it again well don't do it again will you. Ah I see you've done it again well that's it then one more and you're done. Righty ho pack you're stuff you're done'.

[RewildingAmbridge]

Depends where you work surely, I work for the MOJ and someone got fired for doing this (to be fair it was twice, the first time he got a final warning), it's about data security

[Sparklingbrook]

But doesn’t final mean it’s the last of something? Otherwise it’s just a warning. Final warnings where I work come at the end of other warnings.

[SirGawain]

@Ohgodthepain

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

A final warning doesn't always mean that they have had previous warnings. It is possible to go from a blameless record to a final warning, or even dismissal, if the matter is serious enough.

[IwishIwasSupermum]

Yep we have to have special permission even for taking our own personal phones if we’ve set up to receive our work emails, why would you even do that?

[IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads]

We also have very strict rules about taking laptops abroad, where (there is a "green list") and how long for. There also needs to be a very good reason why.

[matthancockslovechild]

It will be because of their data retention policies, that all data stays in the UK / EU or something along those lines.

The laptop will alert IT security if it is outside of the permitted area for usage and the location can be identified.

[TimeForMeToF1y]

@Riapia

Arrogance.
Mistakenly thought that they were indispensable.

Or maybe they simply dont have their own laptop and wanted to take one on holiday

[TimeForMeToF1y]

You know that there's no such thing as a taking your work laptop abroad law? Employers can set whatever rules they choose, no reason why they'd all be the same as yours