[BC] Company Laptops

[Sid Schweiger]

>>Our company has made the decision to furnish our sales people with
laptops.<<

My condolences.  ;-)

>>What rules do other companies impose on their company property?  Do
employees have to sign any agreements?  How to protect them against loss
or theft?<<

All new employess at our shop are handed a booklet which states, among
other things, that they are wholly responsible for any company-owned
equipment that they use, including computer equipment.  They are also
told that, depending on the exact circumstances, they may be held
financially responsible for any loss of, or damage to, company-owned
equipment.  These policies are also a part of the company's printed and
online policy manuals.  In only one case that I can recall was an
employee made to repay the company for a totalled laptop (I referred to
it in another thread...he spilled apple juice into a laptop, waited two
days to tell me about it and didn't admit that he screwed up until he
knew that I knew what had happened; by the time he fessed up the laptop
was permanently ruined)...but they are all aware that this can happen
and that it's up to them to keep the equipment in good working order, to
protect it from damage or theft, and to report any problems immediately.
 OTOH, we've had some company-owned laptops left in cars, in plain
sight, from which they have been stolen, and the users have not been
made to repay the company.

At the moment, we don't make them sign anything, although I think
that's probably a good idea (run it past your company's lawyers first,
though).



Sid Schweiger
IT Manager, Entercom New England
WAAF - WEEI AM/FM - WKAF
WMKK - WRKO - WVEI AM/FM
20 Guest St / 3d Floor
Boston MA  02135-2040
Phone: 617-779-5369
Fax: 617-779-5379
E-Mail: sid at wrko.com