What to do with hardware during temp leave

Posted by Throwlpa@reddit | sysadmin | View on Reddit | 32 comments

What do you do with the laptops from users who are on temp leave? This is in Canada so women are out on Mat leave for a year and are expected not to work at all which is great. Accounts and such are taken care of but I don't believe we have any process for the hardware other than just store it on a shelf till they come back or we need it for something else.

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mercurygreen@reddit

It's leave, not a termination. Unless there is a pressing need for the hardware, why would you do anything with it? You wouldn't do anything if they were on PTO.

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Metalfreak82@reddit

This. The person just keeps it at home.

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mercurygreen@reddit

I've been thinking about it; my bias to "why do anything?" is because in the U.S. maternity leave is FAR too short, and companies will still try to get you to do work on them.

Canada (or various other places) has a more civilized policy and if someone tries to get you to work on that leave, they ACTUALLY get in trouble.

For THOSE places, the hardware should be turned in, and they should have a policy that looks something like a termination to make sure files/access are shut down (suspended) while they're on leave.

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Unhappy_Clue701@reddit

We just leave it with the user (in UK). Mat leave is similar here, they aren’t expected to work but it’s kinda the done thing to check in just occasionally. Asking users to power up the laptop so it gets patched from time to time is OK too, makes life easier for everyone when they come back.

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BalderVerdandi@reddit

Backup their data.

Reissue the laptop.

They get new gear if and when they come back.

With the costs associated with new hardware, licensing and software, warranties, leasing, etc., from a fiscal point of view it doesn't make sense. Neither does it from an IT point of view - why would you shelf a laptop and it not get updates, pop hot for patching, and eventually fall off the domain?

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BoltActionRifleman@reddit

We’d probably find out by saying something like “I see Jane hasn’t been in for a while, what’s up with that?” Someone would then inform us she’s been on leave for 3 months and won’t be back for a few more. We’d probably just get the PC back and store it in our storage room for the time being.

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slackmaster2k@reddit

We just disable and don’t bother getting the machine back. Assuming a good environment there’s no real risk and the machine is already there when they’re ready to get back to work. Much less complexity than shipping crap around and dealing with reimaging etc.

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Ok-Detail-9853@reddit

It's not their laptop. It belongs to the company

Back up their data a d re-issue it and give them another device when they return

Sitting on a shelf is burning through warranty and not being updated

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SAugsburger@reddit

This. You would create a bunch of time to get it back up to date leaving it powered off and obviously lose life span sitting unused. A certain number of devices will sit unused for at least part of their lifespan due to turnover, but any user data ought to not be exclusively on the device so issuing them a new device in a year shouldn't be a big deal as long as you keep their profile data archived.

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Eviscerated_Banana@reddit

This, I would also consider it as a parts donor for repair jobs if its getting on a bit. Surprising how far you can cannibalise stuff if you are sensible.

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binaryhextechdude@reddit

Out for a year it gets returned to IT and reassigned. Off work for less than a month we don't care. Devices not logged into for a month get disabled in AD so we hope they tell a colleague to log in at least once to prevent that happening. 9 times out of 10 it doesn't but we live in hope.

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jojowasher@reddit

We just had a meeting about this, the decision was to just let them keep it if they are remote, and if they are in the office they will be issued a new one when they return.

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AnonymooseRedditor@reddit

I’d reissue it and set the employee up again when they return especially since maternity leave here is 12-18 months

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Ok-Double-7982@reddit

Store it on a shelf, not getting updates or checking in with the domain? Cool.

Take the hardware back into possession so that it stays up to date on security patches and any monitoring software which may see it as no longer active after a month.

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ncc74656m@reddit

The problem for me is that most of our users on leave don't bother updating the device, and they don't check their email/Teams to see me begging them fruitlessly to do so. I try to have that conversation prior to departure to strongly encourage them to either leave the device with us so we can maintain it, or make sure they understand the importance of it (esp if they'll be treating it like their own device while out and using it).

I've had better success though with explaining it to users and letting them know I'm really only asking for them to power it on every couple weeks and run any available updates.

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gaybatman75-6@reddit

I feel like I’d want to make a backup and store it on a network drive while noting the location on their ad account. Then I’d repurpose the equipment and give them a new laptop when they get back. Gotta be better than trying to catch up a year old machine on updates and stuff.

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No_Resolution_9252@reddit

reimage the laptop to put back in service then when they come back they are issued a laptop again. Leaving a money-making asset go idle for 1/3 of its useful life is absolutely stupid

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Every-Development398@reddit

is there a policy if not may want to get one.

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RCTID1975@reddit

Anything over 60 days is a term/rehire

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HoosierLarry@reddit

The asset would be reclaimed, imaged, and added back to the pool for reassignment.

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PoolMotosBowling@reddit

We don't assign specific hardware. Image and redeploy as needed. 2-3 tiers of hardware based on position tier. The models vary but basically the same in each tier.

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illicITparameters@reddit

We’d collect it and either issue it back to them when they returned, or issued them a new one and put their old one into stock. Depended on how long they were going to be out. Those out longer usually liked coming back to newer hardware, so it worked.

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Normal_Trust3562@reddit

We have to leave it with them as users on maternity are offered keeping in touch days… 9 months.

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Capable_Tea_001@reddit

Take it back, redistribute it as required.

If and when person returns they get a new of used machine.

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secret_ninja2@reddit

We backup there data and reissue there laptop, when they return we treat them as almost a new employee, "new kit " and go over policy cos you'll be surprised how much changes in a year. We also provide them a new org chat. We had someone in finance take 16 months for maternity leave and get tricked by a ex employee looking to purchase equipment not realising they'd been let go months before

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Tymanthius@reddit

That's sneaky

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Efficient_Will5192@reddit

Shelf in the storage room, with a label so I remember who's it is.

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UncleToyBox@reddit

We have a storage area for devices of people on leave. There are recorded charging intervals to help keep batteries fresh.

When folks return, we check for any pending updates and offer a refresher session to make sure they are prepared for any changes that might have happened while they were off.

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gregarious119@reddit

We've worked with HR that if a user will be out 2 weeks or more, we have them return equipment to HQ. Stick a note on it, leave it plugged in so it gets updates , and it hangs out until they return. It's not hard and fast but has generally done the trick.

We've had users go out on FLMA and not come back or be out for 12-18 months....it's a pain to get it back then and we felt bad bugging them anyways, so we just use the guise of "We'll keep it updated and ready for you when you get back." If we know they'll be out more than 3-6 months, I'd probably be inclined to just return to stock and reissue them something when they get back.

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