Insuring work laptop during commute?

[Jdsk]

I'm going to ask my manager to clarify and also reread the company's IT policy, as I remember only general misuse and abuse, nothing about taking out insurance.

I'll update when I get a clear answer.

Smart move. But I'd word the questions as "What happens if... " rather than starting with insurance.

Jonathan

[Jonnyb]

Good tip!

I'm poor at things like that. Just go head first directly without thinking of approaching it sideways

[simonhill]

Assuming you carry it with reasonable care and ride in a safe manner, is it more likely to get damaged than other forms of getting to work.

You mentioned theft - probably more likely when on foot. People get mugged on trains. Cars have accidents and even catch fire. Planes crash.

[timmitchell]

My work IT policy has clear misuse (looking at mucky pictures / posting hate) a specific security of data (have a password) and that if you are taking stuff home it should go straight home - so no stopping off for a pint.

As it is I google drive everything so rarely, if ever, have to travel with a laptop.

[roubaixtuesday]

Hi, I've started hybrid working with 2 days at home using a company laptop. They say I'm responsible for it, implying if it gets damaged, I have to pay for it.

Is this normal? I'd expect the company to have insured it with the expectation it'll be used for hybrid working. Would bike insurance even cover something that I don't own?

Would like other people's experience before going back to employer (only just joined).

Why any different on a bike vs any other form of transport?

Ignore.

[Edit: I'd definitely not carry a laptop on a bike unless I had a fully waterproof bag or pannier. Ortleib on mine - survived falling over in a flood and fully immersed last winter ]

[basingstoke123]

Cycle commuting is a recognised and common means of commuting to work, and many employers have policies to (pretend to) encourage 'active travel'. Working from home, and hence taking a PC between home and work is also now very common. Neither is new. If your employer has failed to connect the dots, that is their problem, not yours!

By all means ask about commuting, but I would be careful about mentioning cycling. The former may well be seen as you being a careful and responsible employee. The later might just cause you problems. If your finance/HR/IT department have not considered this, since you have now asked for a policy on this, they may feel obliged to write one to keep you happy.

The danger for you is it will be easier and quicker for them to say 'don't cycle with a company laptop' or a junior assistant who needs something to do is given the task of recommending a secure cycle carrier. Do you want someone who doesn't know the difference between a front wheel and a free wheel dictating a 10kg bomb proof box?

A company's property should be covered by their insurance, even when off-site (e.g at your home). You are responsible for it the same as when at work. I haven't heard of anyone being required to have a work laptop (or other equipment) to be covered by their house contents insurance, and I doubt that normal house insurance would cover it (it's for your own processions).

[awavey]

its complex because whilst they give you a laptop to be mobile, and not just mobile so they can enforce hot desking in the office, often the insurance cover might only cover what is considered travelling for business purposes, whilst a commute is obviously a business purpose it might be a different risk to travelling to a meeting, and theres no way the insurers would be able to assess the risk accurately across a whole company.

I know its a question we raised at our office when it became apparent post pandemic meant as cyclists we'd be constantly shifting laptops from home to work depending on which days we went in, but we've never been given a conclusive answer on it.

and whilst its not the problem necessarily of being caught in an accident, though thats always a possibility, theres a higher risk of damaging the equipment simply because roads are bumpy, bikes dont tend to absorb the bumbs and computing equipment really doesnt like being rattled around too much over time, plus theres always the increased risk of water damage, my supposedly waterproof panniers will always have a pool of water after a splash through the rain.

whilst its not something I get too stressed about, its a concern that shouldnt be there imo, though Im far more annoyed at having to lug approx 4kg extra dead weight, on my already heavy commute bike because of it.

[GeekDadZoid]

I am in the privileged position of being involved in setting the policy at my work so I fought to remove any silly notion of employees being liable for the cost of a damaged or stolen laptop. There is a policy exaplaining that the company expects you to take care of thier property and any breach of this would follow the standard disciplinary procedures.

I am currently trying to get all employees expenses for the cost (up to an agreed amount but they can spend more) of a suitable bag/case for whatever mode of transport they use. Not quite got there yet but I think it's better than the ones that get bought for them and never used as they are naff.

I quite often transport up to 5 laptops on my commute, so I made sure our insurance would cover the cost of multiple laptops.

[BobSweet]

Well I negotiated 2 computers, one for home, one for the office. That way I didn't have to carry it in every day. Now that worked out very well. On the odd occasion we needed an extra computer in the office, e.g. someone's being mended, then I would bring it in.

[PH]

What does it say in your contract of employment? I think most have a clause about company property, they seem to be written in very general terms unless there's something specific (I had one that said no company property was to be left in a vehicle overnight) If it's not in the contract you don't have any responsibilities beyond what would be considered reasonable.
Leaving aside if you should insure, have you looked at if you could? Home and personal insurance is usually to cover your own loss rather than that of a third party.
I was interested in this (And bored) enough to google, this was amongst the first hits

If your laptop belongs to your employer
Any work equipment provided by an employer and given to you for the explicit purpose of enabling you to work from home belongs to your employer. This means it’s not your responsibility to insure the item: in other words, you have no insurable interest in the laptop.
If someone steals the laptop from your home or your car and your employer has no insurance, it’s their fault. They’ve lost money, and unless you were negligent with the laptop they probably can’t make you pay for it. Negligence means you failed to act in a way any reasonable person should to ensure the equipment stayed in good condition.

https://www.quoteme.ie/blog/my-work-lap ... e%20policy.

[thirdcrank]

If my future happiness depended on it, I'd be looking for a statement of the law in England - or wherever I was working.

[PH]

If my future happiness depended on it, I'd be looking for a statement of the law in England - or wherever I was working.

Oops, I didn't notice that wasn't a UK source. Here's a UK insurer answering the same question, in pretty much the same way
https://helpdesk.policyexpert.co.uk/hc/ ... from-home-

[rareposter]

Hi, I've started hybrid working with 2 days at home using a company laptop. They say I'm responsible for it, implying if it gets damaged, I have to pay for it.

Is this normal? I'd expect the company to have insured it with the expectation it'll be used for hybrid working. Would bike insurance even cover something that I don't own?

Would like other people's experience before going back to employer (only just joined).

"Responsible for" just means taking appropriate care of it. Laptops get damaged / broken / lost / stolen / infected with viruses and any company should have in place the relevant mitigation processes to remotely wipe the laptop and sort a new one out for you if the worst happens.

If you fall off your bike and break it - well that's not really any different to it being left on a train, stolen from a car or snatched by a mugger as you walk to the office so I wouldn't worry about it. The company rarely owns the laptops anyway, they'll be on a lease deal with a provider to ensure that everyone has up to date IT kit and they'll be insured through that. The provider will never expect to get back every laptop in perfect working order, that's just unrealistic. So long as you're carrying it in a reasonable manner (ie in a laptop bag, out of casual sight etc), you won't need to concern yourself with insurance, I can guarantee it'll already be insured somewhere along the line.

[Jonnyb]

Finally got an answer and I don't need to do anything about insurance, etc. It's covered by the company.

I guess no one's asked about it before so they didn't know and had to check.

[Jdsk]

Thanks for adding the answer.

Jonathan