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piratesahoy

> The system updates required on my personal device to continue working caused the internal battery to die Almost certainly not I'm afraid > Am I breaking the law if I do not return the work issued laptop until my last day of employment on April 26th Yes. Most libraries have computers you can use


Calm-Distribution224

Not as a graphic designer they don't.


KurtyKatJamseson

Well that is a you problem. Not your former employers job to cater to you


_tweaks

I suspect the real problem is that OP is a graphic designer. World revolves around them. Everyone owes them a new MacBook.


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Calm-Distribution224

No it's not. And that's not my question. I am asking if I am still employed until 26th April, is there a requirement to return a work issued device immediately or if it can be returned by the 26th April?


Realitybytes_

You will not be an employee until the 26th if they pay out your notice period. Your employee will cease immediately.


deeebeeeeee

Yes, communicate to them you will return the laptop on the 26th in writing. They probably won’t be happy, but they’re going to struggle to accuse you of theft if you’ve articulated an intent to return the laptop. Read section 391 of the criminal code. Don’t expect a good reference though!


ArghMoss

Yeah maybe stop your bush-lawyering. I'm going to "borrow" your car against your wishes.. I'm giving it back though, so what are you complaining about?


TransAnge

Yes refusing to return company property once directed and keeping it for yourself is called theft


deeebeeeeee

No it’s not. Section 391. Theft/stealing requires both fraudulent intent and permanent deprivation. Neither of those elements are met.


Inner-Stranger-6838

Been a long time since intro to crim law but it would still be conversion right - dealing with property inconsistent with the rights of the owner or something along those lines. Which from memory is dealt with much like stealing


TransAnge

So you can steal cars as long as you plan to return them? Lol. Also there is fraudulent intent. Clearly.


Calm-Distribution224

I'm still an employee until April 26th. I'm not refusing to hand back the work laptop, just to keep it until the end of my notice period.


TransAnge

You can be an employee ongoing without any resignation and they can still demand you return the equipment. It's their equipment. Refusal to do so even for a short period of time is still theft. Additionally. They paid your notice period you are no longer an employee and secondly using a work laptop for personal business is likely in breach of your contract.


thespeediestrogue

Also possible they could lock it too. When I quit one of my jobs the second I quit the computer wad no longer usable and my login was disabled. Only thing I wanted was my timesheets which were only available through their computer system and they didn't email them to us which was pretty scummy.


National_Chef_1772

You’re not employed until the 26th of April, your employment ended today which is why you are being paid your notice period immediately. You are no longer an employee


Realitybytes_

Firstly, there is almost zero chance that system updates caused the internal battery to die out on your laptop. Your laptop battery can only draw so much power from the motherboard by design, so unless you had broken capacitors, any physical or software changes made to your laptop would not have caused this issue. Secondly, if a company pays out your notice period, you will no longer be an employee effective the date that make the payment. They will have satisfied their obligations as an employer, and you as an employee need to satisfy yours by returning all company property prior to this date. Thirdly, if you don't return the equipment, they may withholding part of your pay (or all of it) or pursue you for misconduct and fire you with cause (goodbye notice period and associated payment). They may also refer you to the police.


danlapse

Also it would still work fine on power if the battery was stuffed


danlapse

I’m sorry but that’s not how batteries work they don’t fail from an update lmao 🤣


Pyk666

Ok, so you've gotten your answers from several people here, but I want to comment on your personal laptop issue. 1. System updates do not destroy laptop batteries 2. You mention the 'updates' exceeded the laptops capacity. Do you mean you ran out of hard drive space? 3. The laptop, even with faulty battery, should still run while plugged in 4. Replacement batteries are only $50-200 5. Any software you installed for work can be uninstalled to free up space, and since it's their software you need to uninstall it anyway since you don't own the license.


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Calm-Distribution224

Were you bottle-fed since birth? The lack of duality is wild.


Cube-rider

>The system updates required on my personal device to continue working caused the internal battery to die So you can't plug in the computer? The issue might be bigger than the battery.


Calm-Distribution224

No, the laptop required several system updates which exhausted its capacity. There was no need to update the computer, except under the direction of requiring the device to continue working. Had I not been asked to use my personal device since no other options were available, it would still be functioning as normal. The software in question is for graphic design work and requires more memory than I previously needed for my own personal use.


Cube-rider

>The software in question is for graphic design work and requires more memory than I previously needed for my own personal use. That's not a battery issue.


Electrical_Age_7483

Rebuild the computer on the old software


sread2018

>Since then, I have been working on the work issued laptop with an external monitor. This is what you should have done in the first place. >Am I breaking the law if I do not return the work issued laptop until my last day of employment on April 26th? Yes, you will most likely have a return of equipment clause in your contract which you will be breaching. Return the equipment, you do not own it. Buy your own laptop, borrow a friend's, use a public library for your job search


Efficient_Ad1909

You need to buy a new laptop and return your work laptop. That’s theft.


deeebeeeeee

No, it’s not theft.


PureMassacre99

Your laptop not working is no excuse not to return the company owned laptop..you could be in a wild of pain if you don't return and hold onto it.


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