What to do when an employee doesn't return a company laptop.

If the laptop hasn't come back, start here.

1. Confirm which equipment is outstanding.
2. Disable or remove company access as appropriate.
3. Record the device identifiers you have.
4. Confirm the employee's personal contact and shipping information.
5. Give them a clear return method.
6. Follow up on a documented schedule.
7. Track whether the return shipment actually starts.
8. Escalate internally if the equipment remains outstanding.

Access can be shut off before the laptop comes back.

Account access and physical equipment recovery are related, but they are different workflows. Your IT or security team handles access through whatever your organization uses: identity accounts, device management, Apple Business Manager, Autopilot, Activation Lock or other controls. Not every organization uses all of these.

Getting the laptop itself back is a separate logistics and communication problem. If the device needs to be released from your systems before it is reused, see Release a device before return.

Know exactly what you're trying to recover.

Keep one operational record per return. Useful details include:

• Employee name
• Personal email or another reachable contact
• Current shipping address
• Laptop make and model
• Serial number, if available
• Asset tag
• Other equipment expected back, such as a charger
• Internal ticket or reference
• Last known status

Not every field is needed for every return. The point is that anyone on the team can see what is outstanding without asking around.

Remove as much friction as possible.

A former employee may not have a suitable box, packing materials, a printer, a clear return address or the time to work out company shipping rules. Each missing piece is a reason to put it off.

Returns move faster when the person gets a specific path: appropriate packaging, prepaid shipping, clear instructions and one simple next step. For the normal process, see how to get a company laptop back from a remote employee.

Be specific, not vague.

A good return message clearly states:

• What needs to be returned
• How to return it
• What materials and instructions they will receive
• Where to ask questions
• Any internal deadline your company has set

Keep the tone practical and polite. A clear request works better than a threatening one.

Follow up consistently — and keep a record.

Ad-hoc reminders break down quietly: one email gets lost, ownership changes, IT forgets when to follow up, tracking lives in another tab and HR assumes IT is handling it. A documented cadence, with each contact recorded, is more reliable than one-off emails.

When ShiplyTech runs the return, reminders begin after the return kit is delivered: currently every four days, up to seven reminders over 28 days. They stop when the return label is scanned, the employee unsubscribes or reminders are turned off. That is ShiplyTech's current process, not a legal or industry requirement.

A promise to return it isn't the same as a shipment.

“I’ll send it Friday” is not a status. IT needs a concrete one: not started, return shipment started, in transit or delivered. Carrier tracking tells you which.

Know what hasn't come back yet. No spreadsheet reconstruction. No inbox archaeology. See how outstanding devices are shown.

What if they still don't send the laptop?

At some point, the issue stops being a shipping problem. If a former employee does not return company equipment after a reasonable, documented process, the right next step depends on your company policy, the employment agreement, local law, HR and legal guidance, the value and sensitivity of the equipment and the circumstances of the departure.

Options such as withholding wages, deducting from final pay, charging a card, using collections or reporting the device as stolen can be regulated differently depending on the location and circumstances, so HR or legal counsel should determine the appropriate escalation. This guide is operational guidance, not legal advice.

What helps either way is a clean record: what was sent, when it was delivered, each follow-up and whether the return label was ever scanned.

Don't make IT run the chase.

We can run the return process. We can't force someone to hand over the laptop.

ShiplyTech takes over the operational work between “this laptop needs to come back” and “the return shipment is moving”: return setup, the return kit, employee instructions, follow-ups, shipping, tracking and visibility of outstanding returns. If the return is still outstanding after the final follow-up, the ordering admin is notified for the next step.

A standard US laptop return is $95. It includes a padded box, prepaid shipping for the return kit and prepaid return shipping for the laptop, a printed instruction sheet and tape, emailed instructions with a personal return link, reminders and tracking. No subscription. No setup fee. ShiplyTech does not retrieve devices in person, and there is no refund if the device never returns. See how it works.

Example: Jordan's MacBook Pro

Fictional example. Jordan's employment ended Monday. Accounts were disabled the same day; the laptop is still at Jordan's home.

Make equipment return part of offboarding before the employee leaves.

• Keep current equipment assignments.
• Collect a personal contact method where company policy permits.
• Assign an owner for physical equipment recovery.
• Start the return before or at departure when appropriate.
• Treat account shutdown and equipment recovery as separate tasks.
• Make outstanding equipment visible to everyone involved.

More on this in employee offboarding.

Your return policy should answer a few basic questions.

• What company equipment must be returned?
• When should it be returned?
• Who starts the return?
• Who pays for shipping?
• How is packaging handled?
• Who follows up?
• When is the issue escalated?
• What happens after the equipment arrives?

Have your HR or legal resources review the policy language.

Frequently asked questions