Return of Company Property Letter

For when someone has left and still has the company laptop, phone or keys. Two letters: a first request with a return date and a way to send it back, and a final notice if that's ignored.

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The Template

RETURN OF COMPANY PROPERTY LETTER

LETTER 1: FIRST REQUEST

[Company Name]
[Company address]

Date: ______________

To: [Employee name]
[Employee address]

Re: Return of company property

Dear [Employee name],

Thank you for your time with [Company Name]. As your employment
[ended / ends] on [date], please return the company property listed below.
Our records show it was issued to you on the dates shown.

Item                Serial number       Date issued        Value
1. ______________   ______________      ______________     ______________
2. ______________   ______________      ______________     ______________
3. ______________   ______________      ______________     ______________

(Include chargers, cables, cases, ID badges, keys and other accessories.)

Please return everything by [date, 7 to 14 days from today].

How to return it: [We have sent you a box with a prepaid shipping label
and tape inside. Pack the items, seal the box and drop it at any
[courier] location. / We will arrange a courier collection from your
address on a date that suits you. Reply to this letter to book it. /
Bring the items to [office address] between [times].]

Please do not reset or wipe any devices. We will remove your access
and any personal files you tell us about once the items are back.

If you have any questions, or if anything on this list is wrong,
contact [name] at [email or phone].

Thank you,

____________________
[Name], [Job title]
[Company Name]

LETTER 2: FINAL NOTICE

[Company Name]
[Company address]

Date: ______________

To: [Employee name]
[Employee address]

Re: Final notice, return of company property

Dear [Employee name],

On [date of first letter] we asked you to return the company property
listed below by [first deadline]. We have not received it.

Item                Serial number       Date issued        Value
1. ______________   ______________      ______________     ______________
2. ______________   ______________      ______________     ______________
3. ______________   ______________      ______________     ______________

This property belongs to [Company Name]. Please return it by
[date, 7 days from today] using [return method from the first letter].

If the items are not returned by that date, we will invoice you for
their value, a total of [amount], and may take further steps to
recover them or their value, which can include legal action.

If you believe you have already returned some of these items, or that
any are listed in error, contact [name] at [email or phone] before
[date] so we can check our records.

Sincerely,

____________________
[Name], [Job title]
[Company Name]

What to Customise

The item list. Make, model and serial number for each item, plus chargers, badges and keys. A specific list is harder to ignore than "please return our equipment".
How to return it. Keep the option you're offering and delete the others. Sending a box with a prepaid label and tape inside gets more laptops back than a label on its own.
Deadlines. 7 to 14 days for the first letter and 7 more for the final notice are starting points. Change them to suit.
Values. Use what each item is worth now, not what you paid. The final notice invoices that amount, so it should be a fair figure.
Legal review. This is a template, not legal advice. Don't add anything about deducting the value from final pay without checking the law where the employee works, because many places restrict it.

When to Send It

On notice day. Send the first letter, and the box, while the person still works for you and still answers email.
After they've left. If nothing was collected on the last day, send it straight away rather than weeks later.
When the deadline passes. Send the final notice once, then decide whether to invoice, go to small claims or write it off.

For the next steps if it still doesn't come back, including locking the laptop and what the law says about final pay, see what to do when an employee won't return their laptop. To make the next departure easier, have people sign the employee equipment agreement when they get their kit, and use the offboarding checklist when they leave.

Know what to ask for

AssetJay keeps every laptop, phone and accessory with who has it, its serial number and its receipt. When someone leaves, you get a checklist of everything they have, so the letter is ready in a minute.

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