Is My Company Responsible for Replacing My Laptop Damaged on the Way to Work?

I recently joined a company as a fresher, and in the interview, they said that you have to bring your laptop to the office. So, I started taking my laptop to the office. Then one day, as I was going home, I slipped on the road because of heavy rain, and now it is not able to be repaired. Now I want to ask, is the company bound to compensate me for my laptop, as they asked me to bring my laptop to work.

Portable Capital Equipment and Insurance

The laptop falls under the category of "Portable Capital Equipment." Did your company mention arranging a laptop in your appointment letter?

When the company requested you to bring a personal laptop, you should have insured it immediately. You could have also asked the company to cover at least the insurance cost. I doubt whether you did that.

Regardless, nothing can be done at this point. The company asked you to bring a personal laptop for company work, and you consented to it. Therefore, the risks related to accidental damage to the capital equipment lie with you.

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Dear friend,

Beyond completely agreeing with the learned senior Mr. Dinesh, the point here is that you have obliged the management by carrying your laptop for company use, which is not allowed by many companies. Management does not permit the loss of confidentiality on company documents or materials. Therefore, the management may not reimburse the cost if it occurred on the premises, which could have prompted you to show interest in seeking the amount.

Dear Colleague,

Requiring you to bring your own laptop is not a common practice, and generally, companies provide desktops/laptops for company work.

Having obliged the company, you approach them for a reasonable amount for its damage that occurred during the course of your employment, and I think they should consider it favorably, at least on moral grounds.

Regards,
Vinayak Nagarkar
HR Consultant