I worked from home for a government department and left about 6 months ago. Supposedly they were going to arrange a courier to collect the laptop I was using and associated accessories except they never did.
What are my obligations here? The laptop is back in the box I received it in ready to be collected. I don’t really want to have to keep it somewhere safe for ever more. I haven’t tried logging back in on it since I left (although I wouldn’t be surprised if I still have access) and I don’t have any contact information for the department other than contacts within outlook on the laptop itself.
21 comments
Call the company
These questions make me despair. Call the company, what else would you do? Ffs.
Send it back to the address that sent it to you?
You should try to get in contact. I don’t know of one government department who doesn’t have some type of phone number or email address. It’s usually towards the bottom of their page on GOV.UK. Alternatively stick it in the post for the attention of their IT department with a note to their head office address. Again address on GOV.UK
Email an old colleague. It does not matter if they have switched dept. If they have a .gov email they will be able to get you in touch with the right person.
Call/ email the department you worked for. Doesn’t matter if it’s not bang on the correct department the person manning the inbox will get the message to the correct dept. Google it and go for the closest email.
Show a bit of initiative and problem solving skills.
I used to work in HR and stop being a lazy MF call them or drop it back at the office, return it really not that hard DF
Being Gov they’re slow but very persistent. They’ll want it back or invoice you for the cost.
It’s government property, you don’t mess with them. Have you thought that being a civil service laptop it might contain info the gov deems confidential and you are still responsible for. Could you be prosecuted ??
Your nearest Gov dept is your local council offices.
But come one, like others have said, …wake up and take some responsibility. You’re not a child.
Edit. Have you responsibilities under the Official Secrets Act ??
Your obligation is to return the laptop and accessories to its owner. It’s also your obligation to not attempt to access a network without authorisation. The address should be on the box. The internet is a wonderful resource for finding out how to contact people.
I’m surprised you have to ask the question.
Crack it out and log on to it. If they have a semi decent IT setup the laptop will get flagged on their systems and IT will chase it up.
I was using a colleagues laptop who had left the company as theirs was better than mine and this happened. I got a world of shit for it not being handed in.
And if their IT is rubbish and its not encrypted then yay free laptop.
You say you haven’t tried logging back in. Why don’t you try that. There’s probably 20 emails telling you how to send it back.
Sell it on marketplace xox
I’m a civil servant. You’re trying to tell us you can’t remember your bosses email address?
It’ll literally be firstname.lastname@department.gov.uk
What about when you joined? Is there nothing in your personal email from your new manager saying “hi”?
Failing that goto the departments website, find their privacy policy and get the email address of the departmental data protection officer/mailbox.
Your obligations are to do what is reasonable to have it returned.
What is considered reasonable is down to your personal circumstances.
Is it easy for you to head over to the office to hand it in?
Are you reasonably able to make contact with someone in the office?
If you’re able to make contact suggest a reasonable time frame that they need to arrange a collection.
If they cannot manage it you are allowed to dispose of the laptop.
Be mindful that as it is a government laptop, presumably with sensitive data on it, the guidelines for how you dispose of it will be tighter.
Goto r/civilservice
Ask for someone in your old department to help.
Use some common sense
My last (privately owned) company never took my laptop/iPhone/MS Pro back either. I kept them for 6 months and then I just started using them as my own.
I had a similar issue, I was sent a PC, and left the job last December, I’ve been emailing back and forth with them to collect it as I don’t want to keep it anymore. They said they would arrange for the relevant department to contact me, they took 4 months to ask me to get it ready for a courier. They then sent a courier who did not come and instead labelled the delivery as that we were not ready for the collection. So this happened 3-4 times and they finally collected last week. It’s a long process and so irritating having to wait in for a courier
E bay the fuck out of that company life invader ! Get yourself a nice bit of cash , if they ask for it after this point tell them someone collected it six months ago and it’s not your problem !
Free laptop
And this is the reason why our country is screwed..
Literally just call them or e-mail them.
“B-b-but there’s no frontdesk I can just call” – you’re talking shit OP. Of course there are phone numbers for government departments. They may have to forward your call on a few times but you will get to speak to someone who can help you.
“B-b-but I’m inherently lazy and why should I go out of my way to help them”? – because it’s the real world and people make mistakes OP, they probably just forgot to arrange collection. It doesn’t take a lot of effort to make a call to have the laptop returned, and deep down you know it’s the right thing to do since the taxpayer ultimately funded that laptop. Yeah you could just keep it but that’s hardly sticking it to ‘the man’ now is it
I left a company 10 months ago and they never asked for the laptop back. So I’ve reset it and now use it as a personal laptop. They can have it back if they ever come calling