Work laptops

[Floofydawg]

I left my job (not through choice) a month ago. Someone was supposed to get in touch with me to arrange for the two work laptops I have to be collected. I'm still waiting. Have chased several times, with no response. Should I take them to the tip? Sick of the sight of them now. I can't even drop them at the office as all my access has been revoked.

Does your office have a reception that will take deliveries?

just drop them there. It’s petty to take them to the tip.

Can't you just leave them at reception?

Just shove them in a cupboard otherwise.

Can you leave them at a desk in reception? If you then make sure they are clearly labelled with who they are from and which department they are for. The receptionist might not be happy but that is not your problem.
I'd be a bit afraid that if I dumped them the company might suddenly demand them or money to replace them.

I sincerely hope that you did not really mean that you wanted to take them to the tip. Apart from the fact that electronics should not be disposed of in that way, no, of course you are not at liberty to throw away equipment provided by your previous employer. Put them in a cupboard or a drawer. Or take them to the office and drop them off. Or face the consequences if they decide to call for them and you can't produce them.

If you're going to take them to the tip couldn't you just as easily drop them off at the office? Or email them about collecting?

Send them recorded delivery?

If I take them into the office it means driving to the city and it would cost me to park. I don't see why I should incur charges when they're meant to collect them.

Have emailed several times. Am getting ignored.

Then put them in a cupboard. Seriously, if you were dismissed or made redundant then fine - you may have a reason to be angry. But you are being foolish and petty suggesting that you have a right to throw them away. If you are that intent on getting them out of your sight, cough up for parking!

I was made redundant and have been treated like crap ever since. How long am I meant to hold on to them for? Forever?

Tried emailing the finance director or MD to let them know? I'm sure they'd be interested in the fate of their assets with potential data on them that could potentially lead to ICO issues.... just a thought.

Do you not have a phone number for a former colleague who works there still? Give them a call tomorrow.

you are either going to have to bite the bullet and take them in, or hang on to them. Are you in a union? ask them what the legal position is.

In your shoes? i would send the Boss and the HR manager, by recorded delivery, a letter saying "provide a prepaid return shipping label, or arrange collection by X date or i will dispose of the laptops securely, Acknowledge receipt and understanding of this letter in writing to me at the above address." Give them 4 months or something reasonable

Yeah have done that as well. They chased HR for me. Still no response.

Technically, they can come after you for a debt for six years if you are in England or Wales, so if you dispose of their property then they can invoice you for it and then treat it as a debt.

And I'm sorry you were made redundant, but I assume that you still need a reference from them? Is it worth risking your reference over a pique?

Just send them one last communication, send it to HR and the Data Protection Officer,

Dear xxxxxx

Since being made redundant xxx months ago I have sent several requests for you to arrange collection of the laptop that you issued to me. As of yet no arrangements have been made despite my best efforts,

I am now notifying you that if it has not been collected from my home address by xx date I will be listing it for sale on eBay. I do not have the technical expertise, access level or will to delete the hard drive or secure the device so it will be listed and sold as is.

I look forward to y hearing from you to make arrangements for collection.

Yours sincerely

Get your friend/ex colleague to give you the email for the person who deals with information security. "Given I haven't worked for the company for x months I am reporting this as a data loss, I have repeatedly tried to rectify this without success, emailing Mr Smith on X y and z dates." You'll get a courier.

OP I would email the HR, Finance and IT director, or even the CEO, and copy your former line manager in.

Tell them that they have 7 days to arrange for a courier to pick up the equipment from your home at a date and time convenient to you and that after that you will disposed of it.

If you were made redundant and treated poorly you owe them nothing and I would not even bother to travel to drop this in the office.

if you had no response after 7 days, there are computer recycling charities that will take on equipment like this, wipe all the data and refurbish the machines if needed to then distribute them to kids/parents who can't afford to buy new equipment.

I did something similar with an organisation I had just left. They failed to collect the equipment, although they said they would, and then suggested I should drop it off. Since it was a PC and a laptop and I had no car there was no way I could bring that to them myself and I also did not believe it was my responsibility as I was a home worker and they had had the equipment originally delivered to me.

I told them I would not drop anything and that they had a week to collect the stuff at a time convenient for me of it would be disposed of, and that worked...

Just take them back, you're making a big deal out of nothing. Why didn't you leave them in the last day of wirk? Or else could a former colleague take them in for you?

I was WFH on the day I was made redundant and then subsequently barred from going into any of the offices.

I would email once more, asking them to arrange a convenient time to collect it from you. Then put it in a cupboard and wait their response, if any. I certainly wouldn’t be chasing them or losing sleep over it.

Why don’t you just give them to your former colleague to take in?

Check your contract. It's my responsibility to return mine. It has been for the length of time I've had work issued laptops.

OP, do not place work laptops on eBay with data on the hard drive. Doing this could cause legal issues for you if you have data classified as sensitive on your laptops.