Partner Article

Workers consider company laptops their own property

IT departments are being challenged by changing attitudes and behaviours towards use of company mobiles and laptops outside the office.

Vodafone UK has revealed that people view their work mobiles and laptops differently when out of the office, seeing them more as their own property.

Nearly half of the 1000 people surveyed possessed a work laptop with internet access that they use regularly outside of work.

One in two employees consider their work issued laptops or mobile devices their own property once away from the office, with 68% stating that using a work-supplied laptop outside working hours is a ‘fair exchange’ in the work/life balance equation.

65% of senior managers surveyed agreed that it is acceptable for employees to use work-supplied laptops for their own purposes outside of work. Managers feel that, as recession bites and traditional forms of reward such as pay-rises and bonuses are harder to deliver, small ‘perks’ become more important in retaining key staff.

Mike Banwell, Head of Business Services, Vodafone UK, said: “Whilst it is right that businesses need to keep a close eye on company assets such as netbooks, laptops and other mobile devices to prevent inappropriate, illegal or irresponsible use, we don’t want to get to a situation where attitudes change to such an extent that policies and procedures become so restrictive that employees actively circumvent them, or that the devices become so unfriendly that the benefits employees and businesses are obtaining from mobile working are severely reduced.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .