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How to Get a Laptop Back From a Remote Employee in the UK

Guide for UK businesses · Updated October 2026

Getting a company laptop back from someone who works from home is mostly a logistics problem. The employee usually isn't refusing — they just don't have a suitable box, a printer for a label, or a clear idea of what you want them to do. The steps below remove those obstacles.

1. Check what your contract or IT policy says

Most employment contracts and IT or acceptable-use policies say that company equipment remains the employer's property and must be returned when employment ends or when asked. Find the relevant wording before you contact the employee, so your request is consistent with what they've already agreed to.

If your paperwork doesn't cover equipment returns, it's worth adding a clause for future starters. HR or an employment adviser can help with the wording.

2. Confirm the details before you request the return

• The device: make, model, serial number or asset tag, so you can confirm the right laptop comes back.
• Accessories: charger, docking station or anything else issued with it.
• The employee's current address: remote staff move more often than office records show.
• Their last working day, if they're leaving.
• Where it should go back to: your office, an IT hub or a leasing or IT asset disposal partner.

Our remote employee laptop return checklist covers these in a format you can copy.

3. Choose how the laptop will come back

There are three common options for UK businesses:

• The employee hands it in at an office. Simple if they live nearby, but often impractical for remote staff.
• You book a courier. You arrange a collection or a prepaid label, and the employee packs the laptop in whatever packaging they have.
• You send a return kit. The employee receives protective packaging, a prepaid return label and instructions in one parcel, packs the laptop and drops it off.

Whichever you choose, the laptop needs proper protective packaging — a padded envelope or a reused box without padding is a common cause of damage in transit. We compare the last two options in more detail in laptop return kit vs arranging a courier yourself.

4. Give the employee clear instructions and a date

Send the request in writing (email is fine) and keep it short. Include:

• what needs to come back, including the charger and accessories;
• how to send it, and what packaging and label they'll receive;
• a specific date to send it by — for leavers, ideally on or before their last working day;
• a reminder to power the laptop off and remove any personal items or media;
• a contact person if they have a problem.

Unless your IT team asks them to, it's usually best that employees don't factory-reset the laptop themselves. Your IT team can then check the device and handle data in line with your own policies.

5. Track the return

Use a tracked service so you can see when the laptop has been sent and when it arrives. Note the tracking number against the employee's record. If nothing has moved a few days after your deadline, send a friendly reminder — in most cases that's all it takes.

If the laptop still doesn't come back, see what to do if an employee doesn't return their company laptop.

6. When the laptop arrives

• Check the serial number or asset tag matches your records.
• Check its condition and that the charger and accessories are included.
• Update your asset register.
• Wipe, reimage or redeploy the laptop in line with your IT and data policies.
• Confirm receipt to the employee or former employee.

For everything else involved when someone leaves — accounts, access and paperwork — see our employee offboarding checklist.

Frequently asked questions