Work laptops- whose responsibility?

Morning all,

Odd one this…..anyway. Our office (based in Glasgow) is going through a major refurb at present, soon to be completed. Its all swanky and fresh, break-out areas, all that jazz. The slight kicker is that no-one will have a fixed desk, the desk count is reduced, its all hot-desking and based on an average occupancy per day.

Fair enough.

I commute into work usually twice a week; a round trip of about 38 miles. For carrying kit to and from the office this wasn’t a huge problem as, pre refurb, I had a fixed desk and locker for storage of laptop, clothes, wash kit, etc. Meant I could get up the hills back to where I live with not too much problem.

However, I learned yesterday that they’ll be instituting a new, last minute policy on locker allocations. Unless you are in the office 5 days per week, a locker won’t be allocated. When they asked about office occupancy a while back, I recall saying that I was usually in the office 4 days, and worked from home for 1. So, looks like no locker for me, and potentially carrying everything (change of clothes, wash kit, towel, laptop, charger, etc) in and out every day I pedal in/out.

To be frank I know this is a bit of a first-world problem, but still a PITA. I guess I’ll find out on Monday for sure, but is there a typical corporate/HR responsibility policy when a work laptop is allocated to a worker? As I’d like to be able to say: come 5:30 when I knock off, this is your laptop, your responsibility….

I know I can just buy a big bag or panniers, of course…..been there and done that.

I’d probably go with asking where you are going to keep your laptop as it’s pointless taking it home every day….

Then ask for a locker

Carrying a laptop about is a major PITA. Hope u get it sorted. I would ask very nicely for a locker or see if I could share with someone who has got one

Good advice- thanks guys. My old, fairly lightweight and slim laptop failed about 6 months ago, and I was issued with a new one….I had no idea that they still made such heavy clunkers, you should see and feel the weight and size of this thing. Bizarrely, it doesn’t even have an optical drive now, just a blanking plate.

Its so deep that it won’t even fit into my rucksack, I kid you not.

Just leave laptop with IT dept every night it is theirs after all 🙂

Point out the potential for damage to laptop on bike commute.

Leave the laptop on the desk, turn up to work a sweaty mess. After a while, someone will give you a locker without even having to ask.

If your company is on the ball you signed an agreement begore being handed the laptop and that may have some stipulation about where the laptop should live and whose responsibility it is.

I’d say the best approach will be to talk to them and highlight your issues. I’d bet they’ll be happy to compromise.

Thanks somo….I was hoping so too. TBH, though, they can be pretty intransigent- lets see.

If you really have to move the laptop about, remove the battery, it saves a slot of the weight.

Great idea cyclistm, but leaves me the problem of where to store the battery.

The IT security policy for your company should detail who is responsible. For me I am responsible to have it locked to something when I am not carrying it. They also are required to provide me with an appropriate bag to transport the device from my desk to meetings etc. as you are less likely to drop it that way.

If you tell them you are going to cycle with it and you require them to either provide appropriate protective gear (waterproof/shockproof protector) or a locker with a cable lock tie down they might see fit to give you a locker.

Also if you are hot desking if you office isn’t 100% paperless where do you store anything? Filing cabinets work just as well as lockers 😀

Tell them that in the absence of a locker you’ll be leaving their laptop on one of the desks of an evening. It’s just office equipment you happen to use, so it should be fine, right? No-one takes the photocopier home every night.

1. Find someone to share a locker with for your personal kit
2. Ask for a Kingston type locking cable and leave it on a desk at night. The cables are next to useless in preventing theft but it does show you tried.

Get a scrap car and dump it in the car park then you can use that to store your laptop etc instead of a locker.
Make sure you put it next to the directors parking space. For extra effect you could let the tyres down and smash the door mirrors off. 😈

Tell them that in the absence of a locker you’ll be leaving their laptop on one of the desks of an evening. It’s just office equipment you happen to use, so it should be fine, right? No-one takes the photocopier home every night.

But of difference between a 3kg laptop, which not surprisingly is designed to be portable, and a 100kg piece of furniture

If you have a laptop and you’re daft enough to leave it in plain view on a desk overnight, don’t be surprised if it’s not there in the morning. And while you may not have to pay for the replacement out of your own pocket, don’t be surprised if you get hauled before HR with the words “gross misconduct ” being bandied about

I think it would be unreasonable for them to expect you to lug a laptop home every night if you were working in the office the next day.
In my last office we had small lockers that could take a small bag of sports kit and a laptop with ease. With some judicious crafty daytime clothes hanging it was possible to cycle commute and have a secure laptop.

others cover it it is not unreasonable to leave office /work equipment in the office/work place.

i would explain your circumstance and hope they acquiesce to them
Failing that strop turn up sweaty and use the scrap car plan.

At ours you can leave laptops and they are not chained up as the office is secure.

Just use a laptop cable lock to lock it to a desk overnight.

I leave mine in the cupboard where my files live. I did have a bit of a rant a couple of years ago when it snowed – they said all laptop users had to take their laptops home so they could work from home rather than being snowed in. I pointed out that as I can get to work on foot (although i usually cycle) the one thing that would stop me getting in would be carrying a heavy laptop with me…

Great suggestions all; I will of course be reasonable tomorrow morning, no point in being a d1ck about things.

Sadly, apart from said lockers, there are no filing cabinets for me and others….using a Kensington lock or similar is out of the question I’m afraid, as all desks must be cleared of everything every evening.

(As an aside, despite what they say about collaboration etc, this does just emphasise how much of a number we are to them, and little more.)

Embrace it. I lug a heavy HP laptop in and out each day, along with clothes/wash kit/towel/shoes, trainers/running kit or swimming kit dependant on lunchtime activity…

Granted, my commute is only 10 miles each way.

I ride a bike made out of girders with panniers. When I get on a normal bike, it feels ace!