A comprehensive IT offboarding guide and checklist designed to ensure a smooth and secure transition.

Remote work has made managing company assets more complex—especially when employees leave and don’t return their IT equipment.

Use this checklist to stay compliant with federal and state laws when managing unreturned company property during employee offboarding.

When an employee leaves without returning company equipment — like a laptop, monitor, or phone — it’s tempting to withhold their final paycheck until it’s returned. But is that legal?

It’s a common and frustrating situation: an employee leaves your company, and the laptop, monitor, or phone you issued never comes back. Naturally, you might wonder — can we hold their final paycheck until they return the equipment?

Because your tech deserves more than a flimsy box and a prayer.

If you’re leaving a job and realize that company equipment you were issued—like a laptop, phone, or tools—is lost or damaged, you might be wondering: “Can my employer take that out of my final paycheck?”

If your employer is withholding your final paycheck because you didn’t return company property—like a laptop, phone, or keys—you may be wondering: Can they really do that?

Use this checklist to ensure a smooth offboarding process and avoid delays with your final paycheck. ✅  Return Company Property ☐ Laptop...

It’s a question many employees ask when leaving a job— “Can they hold my last paycheck if I haven’t returned my laptop, phone or other gear?”

If done improperly, it can expose your business to serious legal and financial consequences.

When it comes to protecting your company’s assets, documentation is everything.

It’s a common frustration for employers—an employee departs and your company laptop, phone, or access badge doesn’t return.  You're left...

Under federal law, employers can deduct the full cost of unreturned company equipment from an employee’s paycheck only if the deduction...

Yes — there are important differences! For non-exempt employees , deductions for unreturned company property are generally allowed under...

Yes — in most cases, you do need a written agreement  in order to legally deduct the cost of unreturned equipment from an employee’s...

Remote work has changed the game — but it’s also created a quiet, expensive problem most companies aren’t tracking closely enough: missing IT equipment.  

Several major companies have announced significant layoffs and return-to-office mandates, reflecting ongoing shifts in the global workforce landscape.

If high turnover is an unavoidable part of your business, losing thousands in IT equipment doesn’t have to be. 

Growth is exciting—but it can also expose hidden challenges.