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Personal Use of Business Equipment

April 13, 2006

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Employees need different kinds of equipment, usually provided by the business, to accomplish their work. That equipment may consist of a computer, a copy machine, a telephone, tools, or even a vehicle. Problems with equipment can arise when employees use the business's equipment for personal purposes.

Personal use of business equipment can result in:

• broken equipment, which may cause disputes over who is responsible for repair
• lost productivity, as employees use work time for personal tasks involving business equipment
• premature wear and maintenance on the equipment
• morale problems if certain personal use habits are suddenly curtailed or if only some employees are allowed to use the equipment

No matter what your policy is or how much you try to control it, employees will probably use your equipment from time to time for personal purposes. The best way to handle the inevitable is to allow a reasonable amount of slack, but to be consistent and vigilant in creating and enforcing rules to make sure that the personal use doesn't get excessive.

Three of the most common problems that employers encounter with personal use of equipment are:

• personal use of company computers
• using other company equipment for personal business
• employees' excessive use of the telephone for personal calls

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