I was recently hired as a regular full time employee after working several months as a temp. The day that I started the new position, my supervisor gave me a backpack with the company logo. I figured it was just work "swag". She mentioned it was for my laptop in case I ever needed to work from home. I didn't give it much thought, but then my other supervisor told me that I was expected to bring the laptop back and forth every night! She claimed it was for security purposes! Mind you, I never did this as a temp, and this was the SAME laptop!

69 Comments

1. Sharmil McKeeJune 22,2024 at 12:44PM UTC

   Yeah, it's normal. The requirement is part of their business continuity policy. COVID taught businesses to take the risk of failed continuity seriously. If you have a laptop or desktop in the office, ask if you can leave the laptop at home. Their business continuity policy should tell you whether you can leave it at home instead of carrying back and forth.

2. Lisa MarieJune 22,2024 at 12:47PM UTC

   Are you hourly or salary? Our office has flexibility to WFH so we all carry our laptops for those days when we’re suddenly sick or unexpectedly need to WFH. The hourly employees rarely log in after hours, but salary employees are definitely expected to have their computers for when things come up. If security is the actual concern, you could lock it in a desk drawer instead.

3. AnonymousJune 22,2024 at 6:29PM UTC

   I am hourly. My biggest concern is that it is probably safer in the office, than it is having me carry it back and forth. I worry I will forget it one day, or that it might get damaged or stolen while it is not in the office. I had actually thought about asking if there were someplace I could lock it up instead. I may do that when I get back in on Monday.

4. AnonymousJune 22,2024 at 1:29PM UTC

   Hey I will like some advice please? I been looking for a job for about six months with no luck I have financial problems where I have to do something to get some pay I will like to no did anyone on here try door dash and how was your experience overall I need to find away to make money In it’s the summer time now where it’s kinda hard to find anything in or I forget to mention I’m in my early 50s” and I find it very challenging at my age in yes I do have tons of experience in different job fields but no particular experience in one type of job because I have to say I always struggle to just stay in one spot meaning one job I never stay long at a job more than six months I guess you can say I like to move around it a lot in now I feel like now in my life I have reach my peeking point where I’m ready to finally settle for a long term position

5. AnonymousJune 22,2024 at 10:32PM UTC

   You may want to consider creating a post rather than posting this in the comments of someone else's post.

6. AnonymousJune 22,2024 at 1:59PM UTC

   I am expected to provide my own and carry my company laptop back and forth. At least you got a backpack.

7. AnonymousJune 22,2024 at 2:41PM UTC

   This is not unusual especially if you work somewhere with hot desking. Large companies like Salesforce does this which in the tower had lots of desks (more like tables) entire floors of columns of them with nothing but a big mounted monitor with no storage. They have lockers you may be able to get but not guaranteed. So like myself, I had to lug anything everything be it laptop, separate keyboard, mouse and waterbottle… DAILY and that didn’t even include my lunch! At least they gave me a fancy bag which I still have as a lovely souvenir. Even when I did have a desk at other places, All but one expected me to take my laptop home. (Unless it was a desktop.) Security of course. one place allowed me to lock my laptop in a desk drawer instead. I also travel for work and don’t go into the office consistently and sometimes unpredictability had me in the road and don’t want to have to make the extra trip to pick up my laptop.

8. AnonymousJune 22,2024 at 5:00PM UTC

   This shouldn't be an issue, truth be told. IMO

9. KennethaJune 22,2024 at 6:11PM UTC

   This should have been brought up when you were onboarded. Or at the very least, when you were handed the backpack...

10. Juli RooksJune 22,2024 at 6:13PM UTC

    It isn't uncommon. Prior to working from home full-time, I carried my laptop back and forth. It allowed me to work even when I didn't go into the office.

11. AnonymousJune 22,2024 at 6:57PM UTC

    My husbands company does the same thing and even my kids school they have to bring it back and forth everyday. I think you will get used to but it does take time.

12. AnonymousJune 22,2024 at 9:15PM UTC

    I've never known anyone who didn't bring their laptop home.

    I find it strange that this is a big deal to you.

13. AnonymousJune 22,2024 at 10:31PM UTC

    I don't find this strange at all. Before you were a temp, now you are an employee, they are now fine with you taking the laptop home. For what it's worth, since COVID times, my laptop goes home with me every single night...whether or not it leaves my backpack.

14. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistJune 23,2024 at 1:44AM UTC

    What was done with the lap top when you were a temp?

    My guess is temps are not authoirzed ro remove the laptop from company premises - now that you're an employee, you are.

15. AnonymousJune 23,2024 at 10:35AM UTC

    When I was temping, the laptop stayed right on my desk. That's why I find it so odd. If it is really a security issue, you would think they would have wanted it locked up when I was a temp. I don't have any new programs installed and my job duties have not changed.

16. AnonymousJune 23,2024 at 12:28PM UTC

    This is a normal thing for an employee to do. I bring my laptop to and from work everyday. The requirement as a temp is not the same as being a full time employee.

17. GirlBossanova934974June 23,2024 at 12:56PM UTC

    This company seems rather odd. I can easily see that the company would want you to be able to take the notebook home if you will be working from home. But every night? If you are likely to change desks at work on a regular basis, that makes sense. Sounds the company wants you to work at night/weekends AND NOT pay for it. "Security reasons" sounds completely bogus. Does the company not any security in place at night aka have a THEFT ISSUE which they don't want to talk about???

18. AnonymousJune 23,2024 at 1:04PM UTC

    Ridiculous

    Does the company have any protection around assets? (Computers, copy machine, equipment. Etc)

    why does it fall on you to be the security for company assets?

    it sounds unfair.

19. AnonymousJune 24,2024 at 6:34PM UTC

    Unfair? Thats a stretch.

20. AnonymousJune 23,2024 at 1:13PM UTC

    Now that you’re full time you get the honor of being expected to be able to work from home. After all the craziness with the pandemic many companies want the work at home option to already be deployed. This is so in my company as well. But not for temps or interns. I managed to wangle a desk top at the office and keep the lap top at home … but I’ve been with the company a long time and due to a management regime change my request fell under the radar and I got away with it. Bottom line, just do it.

21. AnonymousJune 23,2024 at 2:07PM UTC

    Unfortunately, nothing about this post is actionable. You’re a full time employee and your employer instructed you to bring your laptop back and forth…so do it. If it’s that’s troubling, look for another job. This really is an opportunity for gratitude that you’ve been moved from a temp to perm position with benefits. Not sure I’d dig my heels in on this one.

22. AnonymousJune 23,2024 at 2:14PM UTC

    Yes, you’re being unreasonable. Please don’t waste a get out of jail free card on this non-issue, by raising this with your boss or HR so early in your tenure as a new full time employee. You will Have bigger fish to fry, this isn’t one of them.

23. AnonymousJune 23,2024 at 2:59PM UTC

    Yes. I work from home and I have to protect the company’s equipment that they entrusted to me. It is part of the job.

24. AnonymousJune 23,2024 at 4:31PM UTC

    It seems pretty standard. If it's company equipment, you should be working on it (either at home or in the office). FWIW, I worked hybrid for years and the laptop was the tool to do all the work. I brought it with me everywhere.

    If you have questions, perhaps seek the employee handbook or HR or IT about policy about equipment. Also, seek clarification from your supervisor. If you have more than one supervisor, you can choose to ask them for clarification - if you're confused by different instructions. You mentioned "back and forth" - it's a valid question to ask if you have an office workstation where you can keep your laptop (esp. if you plan to come in the next day).

    Good luck and congrats on the full time gig.

25. AnonymousJune 23,2024 at 5:50PM UTC

    What is the issue? Is it being asked to take the machine home nightly? or something else. It is company property including the content and when you work from home they likely prefer that you protect it and use their equipment vs your own. Don't make a big deal of this, just deal with it and congrats on the conversion!

26. AnonymousJune 23,2024 at 6:04PM UTC

    It is very common practices for companies to assure you have your lap top in your possession at all times. several companies I worked for had this as a security measure. It’s not that they don’t trust you. It’s a policy.

27. AnonymousJune 23,2024 at 6:30PM UTC

    You may not have been told to take the laptop home as a temporary worker since it’s company property and you were not a formal employee of the company. I can understand how you may feel and you could be wondering if now you’ll be expected to do more work than before. I wouldn’t read much into it if I were you, especially if there has yet to be any requests or needs for you to work after hours. I would imagine those requests would have happened pretty quickly after giving you the laptop bag.

    Think of it this way- now you’ll have your computer at home so if you wake up to bad weather or sick kid, you don’t have to eat up a PTO day.

28. AnonymousJune 24,2024 at 2:59PM UTC

    We had a brand new employee who did not take her laptop home when hurricane Sandy was predicted. Our NYC office was flooded and not reopened for a year. Boss was pi$$ed.

    I attended a conference at a Marriott in Orlando. We broke for lunch and I dropped my laptop in my room with do not disturb on. Five laptops were stolen from conference room while we were across the hall in a dining room having lunch.

29. AnonymousJune 24,2024 at 5:47PM UTC

    That's crazy! If the conference room locked, I may have chosen to leave my lap top there, but you did the right thing locking it in your room.

30. AnonymousJune 24,2024 at 7:10PM UTC

    They didn't lock the room.

31. AnonymousJune 23,2024 at 8:49PM UTC

    My work told everyone last fall, take your laptop home every night or lock it in a drawer. Things were going missing. It has been assigned to you, it is your responsibiity. Not a big deal, don’t leave it in your car overnight.

32. Joan Williams, Senior Talent Acquisition SpecialistJune 23,2024 at 9:33PM UTC

    I would never recommend doing this - good way to get the car broken into and the lap top stolen.

33. AnonymousJune 23,2024 at 10:44PM UTC

    Absolutely (unless, of course, the OP has a garage).

34. Madam anon663June 24,2024 at 8:07AM UTC

    Be glad you have a full time job.

35. Kathy DipierroJune 24,2024 at 11:22AM UTC

    That is common practice company's have been doing this for years.

36. AnonymousJune 24,2024 at 1:02PM UTC

    You’re being unreasonable. This is 100% normal for all companies. Your over use of exclamation points make you sound very young and frustrated with a simple task of carrying a laptop to and from. It’s just as easy as bringing a personal item with you every day like a purse, backpack, and a lunch.

37. AnonymousJune 25,2024 at 12:17PM UTC

    I don't see an overuse of exclamation points. And the poster doesn't sound frustrated, just confused as to why the security rules have suddenly changed. You're just assuming that this person is young, even though they said nothing about their age.

38. AnonymousJune 24,2024 at 1:26PM UTC

    At my previous company, we had similar rules. When we took the computer home but had to stop off between work and home, we were "required" to take the laptop with us into the store. The laptop was not supposed to be left unattended. I don't know anyone that followed that requirement. But there were several people that were terminated because they lost their laptop, which potentially exposed customers' intellectual property. This was a massive liability for the company.

    The reason the situation may have changed from temp to a full time employee is the company plans for you to handle more sensitive information that is considered IP. This is not an odd request based on my experience.

39. AnonymousJune 24,2024 at 1:43PM UTC

    It's not about the laptop! I've been in the same situation for 2 years. It won't stop. Every little thing ia a huge issue. For some reason someone sees you as a threat. I wish I had the spouse that could take on everything, my spouse is disabled. Take the money and run. Find a place where they appreciate you and what you have to offer. And unless you've been through this BS, there are not too many exclamation points.

40. AnonymousJune 24,2024 at 1:55PM UTC

    You took an odd turn with this.

41. AnonymousJune 24,2024 at 6:30PM UTC

    Dont agree with someone seeing the OP as a threat, taking a laptop home is normal and not part of a sinister plan.

42. 1stBossLadyJune 27,2024 at 2:45PM UTC

    @ OP Anonymous: Completely agree. YOU WILL *NEVER* HAVE A LIFE OF YOUR OWN! What happens during vacation? What happens when friends call with something spontaneous? What happens when *YOU* want to be spontaneous? And, where are you working where laptops come up missing/stolen so frequently??? My job? They stay docked, locked and untampered with. UNLESS you choose, or are *told* to work from home.

43. AnonymousJune 24,2024 at 2:35PM UTC

    What they're asking you to do is completely normal. I've been in the workforce now for more than two decades, and I've never been allowed to just lock up my laptop in my desk and go home.

44. WandaJune 24,2024 at 2:38PM UTC

    I'm not sure what everyone's else take on this has been but, in my opinion, you should do all you can to protect any company assets that may be in your possession, even during non-working hours. I can't count the number of horror stories I've heard of people losing work assigned laptops, IPADs that have been loaded with sensitive client information; or having the devices stolen from their autos. Unless you're on call 24/7, I would think that there would be some days that you could leave your laptop at work, instead of transporting it back and forth each and every day.

45. Cheryl Naasko PoundsJune 24,2024 at 2:57PM UTC

    No, some places have extreme cold or hot weather and that's the worst you can do to a laptop not to mention the threat of an auto break-in.

46. Neecie Bee.June 24,2024 at 3:23PM UTC

    You are not alone. My current company of 9 years is the first at which I've been essentially tasked with keeping my LT secure. It was a lot to get used to, but then I started WFH and it became second nature. Prior to this job, it always remained docked and was never taken.

47. Amy OdumJune 24,2024 at 3:59PM UTC

    I was required to do this at my old job but no one ever mentioned security. After one hurricane and one flood knocked out power at the office for a week they decided maybe it was about time we were able to work from home with no notice. So they gave us all laptops and told us we had to take them home every night. That was pre-Covid. When the latter happened we all just got emails over the weekend saying WFH effective immediately.

48. AnonymousJune 24,2024 at 4:33PM UTC

    It may not be strictly the security of the laptop so much as if you were to have to work from home, they want you on the secure laptop that they have tricked out for whatever they want it to do. Not sure what you're situation was during Covid, but I had to scramble to get in and pick up all of my equipment while coordinating so only one person was there at a time. When we reopened, it just became norm to take your laptop home in case things changed the next day.

49. Brigitte YvonJune 25,2024 at 3:03AM UTC

    I have been in the workforce for 20+ years and have had jobs where it was company policy that employees take their laptops home for security purposes. As another person stated, what you’re being asked to do is normal.

50. brandladyJune 25,2024 at 12:07PM UTC

    it’s normal as a salaried employee to take your laptop home every night. In case the office is close the next day for an emergency, to keep it from walking away in the office, etc.

    As a contractor, you likely weren’t approved to work off-site which is why they had you leave the laptop at the office.

    Now it’s a little contradictory but ??‍♀️

51. Nuno AnjosJune 25,2024 at 12:12PM UTC

    It is common for people to take their laptop home, just in case you have unexpectedly work from home, but if you have set a precedent of not taking the laptop home for 7 months, that is a weird request from management!

    In terms of security you are more exposed with a laptop on the street that without!

    If corporate espionage wants to have access to your laptop they will just offer you money for it

52. vivienneJune 25,2024 at 12:21PM UTC

    Yes you are being unreasonable. You are now a permanent member of staff. Many companies require their employees to take home their laptops and they have given you a bag to protect it.

53. AnonymousJune 25,2024 at 12:28PM UTC

    This is a standard request from an employer. An old workplace was severely damaged in a hurricane and instituted a similar policy. Why? Because during the time that the office was too damaged to go into, the individuals with laptops kept the company afloat.

    And thinking about the pandemic we were just in that many thought would be weeks and was in fact years...it's kinda surprising they didn't ask this of you as a temp. Your employer is a business doing what it needs to do to stay afloat - you're part of that.

54. AnonymousJune 25,2024 at 12:35PM UTC

    It is totally normal. As a temp or contractor, you were likely expected to be in the office daily, and had set work hours. As a full-time employee, you may have more flexibility in working hours and the ability to work from home should there be an emergency in the office, something that prevents you from being in the office, etc. Pre-pandemic I worked where we could occasionally work from home. We'd take our laptops home at night, and if you weren't feeling well, but weren't sick enough to take a sick day, it was expected that you'd stay home. When they announced we were switching to remote work during the pandemic, they gave everyone a few days of notice because not everyone brought laptops home every night, and they needed laptops and potentially other things from the office to work remotely. Now that we're back in the office, we take our laptops home at night, because if you don't feel well, you work remotely. Think of it as being kind to your fellow employees - if you get sick overnight, you don't show up to work, even if you have a deadline to meet.

55. SPNN4 SJune 25,2024 at 12:53PM UTC

    Agreed - it is totally normal. This is considered your laptop as far as work is concerned. There are times when you may need to work from home due to unforeseen circumstances preventing you from getting to work - bad weather or car trouble... things like that - and you would not have that flexibility if you didn't have your laptop with you

56. AnonymousJuly 3,2024 at 10:42AM UTC

    I can't work from home as it stands. I work in a call center and they have not given me the equipment, nor any training as to how to set it up to work from home. So at the moment, it serves me no purpose to have it at home and increases the likelihood of getting damaged while it is not in the office.

57. AnonymousJune 25,2024 at 2:52PM UTC

    I think this is totally normal. When I was a temp, I never took the laptop home. When you think about it, as a temp, they can just call up the temp agency and tell them to cancel the contract with you. If you had the laptop, chances are you wouldn't bring it back. They also wouldn't want you as a technical "non employee" having access to their information outside the company. As crazy as it sounds, it is true.

    As am employee, you are more "trusted" than before. I can't explain the logic but it is there somewhere.

    Congratulations on going full time!

58. Jena DesaiJune 25,2024 at 5:34PM UTC

    As an exempt salaried employee, it is pretty common to do so but I do think taking it home everyday isn’t necessary. If you have plans after work and know for a fact you won’t be logging in, then I would just leave it at work. My computer is safer at work than in the trunk of my car.

59. Wanda ShawJune 25,2024 at 6:39PM UTC

    Yes, agreed.

60. Jena DesaiJune 26,2024 at 6:38PM UTC

    This may depend on the type of employer but I also feel like the biggest risk these days with a lost or stolen work computer is the cost to replace it. I need to be on my work network or if elsewhere, have to VPN onto my work computer to get access to folders on share drives, emails, systems, etc. We aren’t supposed to save things locally. And even for stuff unavoidably stored locally, the computers are encrypted and have remote wiping capability. So report to IT ASAP and now the computer is a brick. I think it they are also backed up regularly so your last local backup can be loaded to a new computer. I, again, don’t think it is unusual to take it home and have done regularly for a long time but I don’t understand the reasoning being that it is for security reasons. I don’t understand at all how taking your computer out of your workplace every night is MORE secure than leaving it work?

61. AnonymousJuly 3,2024 at 10:40AM UTC

    Trust me, it isn't more secure. Frankly, I am also worried that I might forget it at home one day while I am rushing off to work. I live a half hour away, so I would lose an hour if I had to retrieve it.

62. Wanda ShawJune 25,2024 at 6:45PM UTC

    True

63. LORI-ANN BURLINGAMEJune 25,2024 at 10:26PM UTC

    How many supervisors do you have? Do you have a manager? You may want to get some clarification from your IT department on what the company's policies and procedures are on using company equipment.

    It sounds like the two supervisors may have some issues.

64. Maegan, Nike Sales Rep & Career CoachJune 26,2024 at 12:07PM UTC

    seems a little odd but not a battle worth fighting.

65. Christina NavarroJune 26,2024 at 1:16PM UTC

    I have worked for two of the biggest banks in the U.S. and I've always had to bring my laptop home and to work every day. It's nice if you wake up not feeling well enough to go into work but still want to get things done. I agree it's strange they didn't have you do it as a temp but that could have been for security reasons too. If they decided to let you go, they would want the equipment easily retrievable.

66. AnonymousSeptember 5,2024 at 2:34PM UTC

    I’ve done temping a number of times and every time I had to bring the laptop home. One of those roles were also remote. At the end of the contract I just sent it back by UPS.

67. AnonymousJuly 1,2024 at 11:54PM UTC

    For as "normal"as everyone claims this to be, I still wouldn't be doing it every night. It's beyond inconvenient, not to mention horrible for your back, to haul around a laptop every day.

68. AnonymousJuly 3,2024 at 10:36AM UTC

    Thank you for that support! The thing is, I work in a call center. Without the other equpment, there is little to nothing I can do at home. Since coming on full time, nothing else has changed in terms of what is loaded into the laptop, either.

69. April DJuly 28,2024 at 8:19PM UTC

    I have been bringing my laptop back and forth every day for the past 10-15 years.

    I bring it in the house ever night and don't leave it in my car.

    I have no place to keep it locked up at the office so for me it is safer to keep it with me.