Template · Separation and offboarding
Company property return form
In short
A company property return form records every item a departing employee hands back, such as a laptop, badge, headset, keys or uniform, along with its condition and who received it. This template lists assets by tag and serial number, covers remote shipping, data and account checks, and gets signatures from the employee and the person receiving the equipment.
Company Property Return Form template
Company Property Return Form
Complete this form on or before the employee's last working day. List every item issued to the employee, using the original equipment issue record. Mark each item as returned, missing or damaged. Remote employees should use the prepaid return kit and keep the shipping receipt.
Employee details
- Employee full name
- Employee ID
- Job title
- Department / team
- Site / work location
- Work arrangement
- On siteRemoteHybridField / mobile
- Manager name
- Last working day
- Personal email and phone for follow-up after departure
Technology and equipment
- Laptop or desktop: asset tag, serial number, condition
- Charger, docking station, monitor(s), keyboard, mouse
- Headset or phone handset: asset tag and condition
- Company mobile phone or tablet: serial / IMEI, passcode removed
- Hardware security key or token
- Other devices (scanner, printer, hotspot, webcam)
Access, keys and cards
- ID badge / access card returned
- ReturnedMissingNot issued
- Building, office, locker or vehicle keys (list each)
- Parking permit or fob
- ReturnedMissingNot issued
- Company credit or fuel card returned and cut
- ReturnedMissingNot issued
Other company property
- Uniforms, PPE, safety boots or tools (list item and quantity)
- Company vehicle: plate number, mileage, fuel level, condition
- Paper files, manuals, customer records or samples
- USB drives or other storage media
Remote return (if applicable)
- Return kit sent on
- Carrier and tracking number
- Date package received by IT
- Contents matched the issue record
- YesNo, see notes
Data and accounts
- Employee confirms no company data kept on personal devices or personal cloud storage
- Device lock and personal accounts (Apple ID, Google, etc.) removed from company devices
- Company accounts disabled by IT on (date)
- Devices wiped or quarantined for legal hold
- WipedOn legal holdPending
Missing or damaged items
- Item, description and reason given
- Agreed follow-up (return by date, replacement, other)
- Follow-up due date
Signatures
- I confirm I have returned all company property listed above, except items noted as missing or damaged.
- Employee signature
- Date
- Received by (name and title)
- Receiver signature
- Date
How to use this template
- Pull the employee's equipment issue record so the return list starts from what was actually handed out.
- Pre-fill the form with each item, asset tag and serial number before the exit meeting or before the return kit ships.
- For remote employees, send a prepaid, padded return kit with a printed copy of the list at least a week before the last day.
- Check each item in person or on receipt, note its condition and mark anything missing or damaged.
- Confirm with IT that accounts are disabled and devices are wiped or held, and record the dates.
- Get both signatures, give the employee a copy and file the original with the offboarding records.
- Follow up in writing on any missing items by the due date, and close the asset record when they come back.
When to use it
Use the form for every separation, voluntary or not, and also when someone moves to a role that needs different equipment. It works as the closing half of the equipment issue form: if issue records are complete, the return form almost fills itself in. If they are not, you are guessing at exit, which is exactly when the employee has the least reason to help.
The form slots into the wider offboarding checklist between the resignation acceptance and the final paycheck. Many teams send the return of company property email the same day notice is given, so the employee knows what is expected and how it will be collected.
Remote and work-at-home staff
Most unreturned equipment today sits in the homes of remote employees. A 300-seat work-at-home contact center that turns over 40% of its agents a year sends out about 120 return kits, and recovery rates fall fast after the last day. What works:
- Ship a prepaid return kit with a box sized for the laptop and headset, padding, a printed checklist and a scheduled pickup or drop-off label.
- Send it before the last day, not after the account is shut off and the employee has stopped reading company email.
- Record the tracking number on the form and have IT log the date the box arrives and what was actually inside.
- Follow up at day 7 and day 14 by personal email and text, then escalate.
For short-tenure agents who leave in the first weeks, ask for the kit back during the final shift call and keep the conversation practical rather than accusatory.
Deductions from the final paycheck
This is where employers get into trouble. Under the FLSA, deductions for unreturned or damaged equipment cannot bring a non-exempt employee's pay below the federal minimum wage or cut into overtime pay owed. Many states go further. California, for example, generally bars deducting the cost of lost or damaged equipment unless it resulted from dishonesty, willful act or gross negligence, and several states require a written authorization signed for the specific deduction. Final pay deadlines are also set by state, so do not hold the final paycheck hostage until equipment comes back.
If you want the option to recover costs, get clear written consent at the time equipment is issued, check state rules before deducting, and prefer a separate invoice or collection step over a payroll deduction. Rules vary by state and country, so confirm with counsel before adopting a deduction practice.
Data, accounts and legal holds
The physical laptop is often the easy part. Ask the employee to confirm in writing that they have not kept customer lists, recordings or files on personal devices or personal cloud storage, and have IT remove personal device locks so the hardware can be reissued. A locked laptop is effectively a brick.
Do not wipe every device automatically. If the employee is involved in a dispute, an investigation or litigation, or left for a competitor under a non-compete agreement, quarantine the device first. Recording which devices were wiped and which were held protects you if questions come up months later.
Common mistakes
- Building the list from memory at exit instead of from the issue record.
- Forgetting low-value items that matter for security, such as badges, tokens and keys.
- Leaving the receiver line blank, so nobody can prove what came back.
- Shutting off email before sending return instructions to remote staff.
- Deducting equipment costs from final pay without checking state law.
Frequently asked questions
What should an equipment return form include?
Employee and manager details, the last working day, each item with its asset tag, serial number and condition, keys and access cards, remote shipping and tracking details, data and account confirmations, a section for missing or damaged items, and signatures from the employee and the receiver.
Can an employer deduct the cost of an unreturned laptop from the final paycheck?
Sometimes, but it is risky. Federal law blocks deductions that push non-exempt pay below minimum wage or reduce overtime pay, and many states restrict or prohibit equipment deductions or require specific written consent. Check state law first and consider invoicing instead.
How do you get equipment back from remote employees?
Send a prepaid return kit with packing material and a checklist before the last day, record the tracking number, have IT confirm the contents on arrival, and follow up by personal email and text if the box has not shipped within a week.
Is an asset return checklist the same as an offboarding checklist?
No. The asset return checklist covers only company property. The offboarding checklist covers the whole exit, including access removal, final pay, benefits notices, the exit interview and knowledge transfer, with property return as one step.
What if the employee refuses to return equipment?
Document each request with dates, send a written demand to the personal address, disable the device remotely if possible, and decide with counsel whether to invoice, use a collection process or report a theft. Keep the tone factual and avoid threats you would not carry out.