need advice re. laptop from a job

[evilmunkey]

Hello all hope your all well. I started a job beginning of November, company sent a headset and a quite expensive looking laptop via courier to do the job. jumping ahead 3 weeks later my last family member , my mother passed away suddenly, live on her own 200 miles away so as her son and only person left i had to go and sort it out , coroners, death certificates, funeral arrangements and bringing her back to leeds . as you would guess given lockdown a drawn out task .

I told the employer and they said we are letting you go as you are missing training etc. fair enough well no could have been a bit more compassionate about the circs but happens.
I then emailed about the laptop and equipment and how to return it , i had an automated reply saying H.R. would be in touch, since then despite numerous emails i have heard nothing . now 4 months and no answer, now i dont want to keep what isnt mine and trying to do the right thing, its boxed as it came and put away just waiting for a reply, its like they dont care , laptop is about a grand and a halfs worth. i dont need it and prefer to see it gone . anyone had experience with this type of thing and know what to do . i dont want it hanging around forever. then suddenly accused of anything remotely iffy, ive for my own piece of mind kep all the emails ive sent showing ive tried to do the right thing. according to some paperwork it states if you leave employ it needs to be returned and to email or call a premium number to arrage a courier to collect. but no response and number is a dead line .
Any advice grateful cheers all

[romeodelta]

Sorry for your loss.

Is it a small or large company? Is it close by?

I would probably try the contact number on their website and ask to be put through to HR, as a first step.

Failing that, I would probably courier it to their head office by recorded delivery and would have to suck up the cost most likely. But at least it would be gone.

[anonymous-user]

If you can't get a response and you don't want to risk sending it without acknowledgement, the proper thing to do (legally) is to write and give them so many days to collect and, if they don't, you will sell the goods. If they fail to collect, you are then entitled to sell and deduct your reasonable expenses in doing so and the rest of the proceeds forwarded to them.

Look up interference with goods act-

https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1977/32

Edited by anonymous-user on Tuesday 9th March 23:50

[sutoka]

Sorry for your loss, doesn't really matter how long you have been with an employer it is pretty low to get rid of someone because their mother passed away.

I had to book a holiday to go to my grandmothers funeral about 15 years ago, line manager approved then a day before I get ' we need you in, it's very important we can't let you have it off'. Said sorry I've got respects to pay. Thought that would be it, the tried to give me a disciplinary or warning or whatever they called it. Point blank refused.

I've found it really shows an employer how they respond to such events. In the corporate world your supposed to carry on as normal and slog on through. I've seen a man work like a dog all day the same morning as his father passed away. He wouldn't stop and leave, his way of dealing with it was to just carry on as normal but you could see the grief on his face.

Anyway back to the question. I certainly wouldn't be in any hurry to return it, if they never contacted you about it then that's up to them.

[strain]

Email them, tell them if it isn't picked up by X date you will redirect it to the nearest charity shop - should get them moving.

if they expect you to courier it back, get them to arrange it, I couriered a Mac back to my old work and still waiting for the £120 off them

[Hol]

The normal and intelligent things don’t seem to be happening during the pandemic, but once everyone in that company in back in the office, someone responsible for the equipmet will then notice and start looking to close all the loose ends.

My advice is to sit tight and wait. Someone will contact you and it wasn’t a gift.

[Taita]

Yep, sounds super simple.

Send them an email reminding them, then another in a month or so.

In the meantime stick it in a cupboard, sorted

[Zetec-S]

^^ Agreed.

It might be annoying having to find a space to keep hold of it a bit longer, but far less annoying than dealing with any subsequent fallout if you sell/give away/bin it.

[hyphen]

You say you have got an automated email from HR, have you also contacted whoever your line manager was? I imagine you have his mobile no, so send him or her a text?

[t400ble]

Just courier it back to them?

[evilmunkey]

Thanks for all the advice , appreciate it . the numbers dont seem to work to call so i have sent another email voicing concerns. however I know the laptop is not mine , i have no wish to keep it . so until such time they contact it stays in its box in a cupboard out of the way. ready to return when they can arrange. thank you all.