Spiceworks Community Digest: You break it, who buys it?
When a company issues an employee a laptop, phone, or other device, it’s an investment in their productivity. But what happens when that investment is damaged, lost, or stolen? This is the topic of a fantastic discussion happening right now in the Spiceworks Community.
Mollusk2025, an IT point person at a nonprofit, is looking for input to help revise their current policy. Their organization asks employees to sign an agreement to repay the cost of repair or replacement for damaged devices, but is this the right way to do it? Should a certain amount of accidental loss or damage just be an accepted risk of doing business?
The Two Sides of the Policy Debate
On one side, many IT pros believe a company should bear the risk of accidental damage. As yellowshirtcc put it, “Mistakes can always happen. It’s the recurring issues or clear negligence that you’ll have to address.” User aJason said, “we don’t always pay extra when you do extra well every time, so why would we make you pay whenever you make a mistake?” This camp sees accidental damage as part of the cost of doing business, and they would only escalate the issue to HR if a pattern of negligence emerged.
On the flip side, some IT pros feel that making employees financially responsible would encourage them to take better care of their equipment. JRBlood is frustrated with seeing brand-new devices destroyed within a day stating, “If we could enforce that rule where ‘You break it, you bought it!’, I think a lot more people would treat their devices with a lot more respect and care.” The high cost of replacement, even for small items like barcode scanners or keycards, adds up over time.
Practical Solutions
Interestingly, a few of the responses also pointed to practical solutions that sidestep the financial debate entirely. adrian_ych mentioned that their organizations purchases full coverage warranties with accidental damage covered, which makes the replacement process as simple as a quick swap from the shelf. Another user noted that while they have no policy requiring payment, they had an employee who felt so bad about losing a phone that they offered to pay for it anyway.
Whether you’re a fan of a strict “you break it, you bought it” rule or a more forgiving approach, this conversation offers a ton of valuable insight. Head over to the Spiceworks Community to read the full discussion and share your company’s policy.
