sample policies

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Personal Use
of Company Property
Employees get so accustomed to using company equipment and
supplies on the job that many of them start thinking of your
property as theirs. It may not even occur to them that using “their”
computer or the photocopier to pursue personal business is actually
theft—unless they’ve obtained your permission. Moreover, some may
regard free use of office equipment as a perk for the work they do.
It’s up to the employer to set a policy on when, if ever, company vehicles, equipment
and other property may be used for personal purposes. You might want to
prohibit all such use, or you might want to allow occasional use within reason. Either
way, be sure your employees know what’s allowed and what isn’t, both to discourage
stealing and to reassure a faithful employee that it’s OK to make an occasional copy of
a personal document.
What’s at Issue
❒ Availability of equipment. Personal use of copiers, fax machines, modems and
the like may tie up company equipment when it’s needed for business.
❒ Cost of supplies. One pen, note pad or whatever doesn’t cost much. But multiply
that by 10 employees and you’re talking a noticeable expense in a 12-month period.
❒ Equipment wear and tear. The more it’s used, the sooner it will need servicing,
repair or replacement.
❒ Productivity. Time spent on personal business is time not spent performing company
business.
❒ Liability. If one of your employees is using your equipment in his moonlighting
business, your firm could be held liable if his product/work caused harm to a client or
was not up to quality.
❒ Goodwill. Letting employees use your equipment to make the occasional copy,
send a fax, make a short phone call or write letters during work breaks helps foster
a congenial work environment and indicates your support of work/life balance.
Employers who try to police or ban every use of company property are likely to create
resentment.
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