How to Streamline Laptop Returns and Offboarding of Remote Employees in 7 steps

Offboarding a remote employee should be simple—collect their laptop, revoke access, and move on. But for distributed teams, it rarely is.

Companies often struggle with delayed returns, lost devices, and security risks when offboarding remote employees. Unreturned laptops hold sensitive company data, and manual retrieval processes create logistical nightmares for IT, HR, and Finance teams.

Without a structured approach, businesses risk data breaches, compliance violations, and wasted IT resources chasing down equipment.

In this article, we’ll go through a step-by-step process to streamline laptop returns and offboarding. From clear return policies to automated retrieval workflows and real-time tracking, these best practices will help businesses recover devices on time, secure company data, and reduce IT workload.

7 steps to streamline laptop returns during offboarding

When employees leave, retrieving company hardware isn’t just about getting laptops back—it’s a key part of protecting sensitive information. A recent study found that 41% of data breaches come from lost or stolen devices, making it clear that unsecured offboarding can be a serious risk. A structured process practically guarantees that hardware is recovered on time, data is wiped properly, and nothing slips through the cracks. Here are the 7 steps to make your offboarding workflow more secure and efficient:

Step 1: Establish a proactive offboarding process

One of the most common mistakes companies make is waiting until the employee’s last day to start the offboarding process. By then, it’s often too late. Employees may become unresponsive, delay returning their laptops, or even take them with them—whether intentionally or not.

Lost devices are not just an IT inconvenience. They present serious security risks if they contain sensitive company data, intellectual property, or access credentials. A single unreturned device with active logins can expose the organization to data breaches, compliance violations, and financial penalties.

In addition to security risks, late retrieval requests create operational inefficiencies. IT teams must manually follow up on returns, HR teams face delays in processing final payroll, and new hires are left waiting for equipment that should have been redeployed.

Offboarding should start as soon as notice is given

A structured employee offboarding process should begin the moment an employee submits their resignation or is notified of termination. Waiting until the last week increases the likelihood of delays, data security risks, and asset loss.

To implement a proactive offboarding process follow these steps:

• Set clear expectations upfront: Every employee contract should include a well-defined laptop return policy.
• Automate retrieval workflows: As soon as offboarding begins, the system should generate a return request with clear shipping instructions.
• Schedule pre-exit check-ins: IT should confirm that employees understand the return process before their final day.
• Assign a dedicated owner: IT or HR should be responsible for ensuring compliance with return deadlines.

See also: How to Legally Terminate an Employee with Grace

Step 2: Automate device recovery to prevent losses

One of the biggest challenges in remote infrastructure management is ensuring laptops and other company assets are returned on time. When the return process is unclear, inconvenient, or left to manual follow-ups, devices get lost, delayed, or forgotten altogether.

Unreturned laptops don’t just increase hardware costs—they also create serious security and compliance risks. A device left in the hands of a former employee could still have access to:

• Company email and internal communication tools
• Cloud storage, databases, and client information
• Confidential files, financial records, and proprietary software

Without a structured retrieval system, companies face data breaches, compliance violations, and potential financial penalties for failing to secure sensitive information.

Best practices for streamlining device recovery

Tracking down unreturned laptops across multiple time zones and locations is inefficient and time-consuming. Many companies are moving toward automated workflows that eliminate friction from the process and improve compliance. A structured system ensures:

• Clear return instructions are provided upfront: Employees receive pre-paid shipping labels and detailed return steps to remove confusion about where and how to return their devices.
• Multiple return options improve compliance: Companies that offer courier pickup, local drop-off points, or designated return hubs see fewer delays and a higher return rate.
• Real-time tracking prevents lost devices: Automated systems log each return, send reminders for delays, and escalate unresolved cases to IT or HR as needed.
• Security measures protect data before retrieval: If a laptop isn’t returned on time, companies can trigger remote locking and data wiping to ensure that sensitive information is secured even before the device is physically recovered.

See also: Offboarding Devices in Hard to Reach Places: A Complete Guide

Step 3: Secure company data before the laptop is returned

Every company-issued laptop contains sensitive business data, making unreturned or unsecured devices a major security risk. When an employee leaves, their laptop remains an active endpoint until IT properly locks it down, creating a window of exposure where corporate data can still be accessed.

Even if the laptop is eventually returned, failing to immediately revoke access or wipe data increases the risk of security breaches, compliance violations, and unauthorized use. This is particularly concerning for distributed teams, where devices are often in transit for days or weeks, potentially misplaced, or even intentionally retained.

The risks of unstructured device security during offboarding

Without a standardized security protocol, companies expose themselves to three major risks:

1. Data breaches: Laptops may still contain saved passwords, emails, and confidential company documents, leaving them vulnerable if lost or accessed by unauthorized users.
2. Compliance violations: Regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, and SOC 2 mandate strict control over company data, including offboarding procedures. If a former employee still has access to business systems after termination, companies risk non-compliance and potential fines. Learn more about certified data erasure during offboarding to prevent such issues.
3. Unaccounted risk: A laptop sitting in transit, left at an employee’s home, or misplaced by a shipping carrier can still have active login credentials and stored company data, creating ongoing exposure.

To mitigate these risks, IT teams should establish a structured security protocol that ensures company data is protected before the laptop is physically returned. The following best practices help eliminate security gaps:

• Revoke system access immediately: The moment an employee is offboarded, IT should deactivate email accounts, cloud storage access, VPN credentials, and company software logins. This prevents any further unauthorized activity on business systems.
• Implement remote device locking and data wiping: If an employee delays returning a device or if a laptop is lost in transit, IT should be able to remotely lock the system and erase all company data. Mobile device management (MDM) and endpoint protection solutions help enforce these security measures. Read more about
• Monitor device activity in real time: IT teams should have visibility into all company-issued devices, tracking their status to determine whether they are active, inactive, or pending return. This ensures that every offboarded employee’s device is accounted for.
• Document and log security actions: To maintain compliance, companies should maintain audit logs detailing when access was revoked, when remote wiping was executed, and when the device was confirmed as returned. This not only helps enforce policies but also serves as documentation in case of legal or compliance reviews.

See also: Top 10 MDM Solutions for Improving Device Security and Workforce Efficiency

Step 4: Track laptop returns in real time to avoid lost devices

Ensuring that company laptops are returned is one challenge—tracking their status in real time is another. Without visibility into where a laptop is in the return process, IT teams rely on manual check-ins, spreadsheets, and employee follow-ups, which can lead to lost devices, missing inventory records, and unnecessary delays.

Lost or untracked devices create three major risks:

1. Financial loss: Every unreturned laptop adds to IT costs, either through direct replacement expenses or delays in redeploying devices to new hires.
2. Operational inefficiencies: IT teams spend valuable time manually tracking down assets, escalating unresolved returns, or requesting shipping confirmations.
3. Security vulnerabilities: A laptop that is "in transit" but untracked could be misplaced, stolen, or remain in an ex-employee’s possession without the company’s knowledge.

Read more: Top IT Procurement Challenges and How to Solve Them

Best practices for real-time return tracking

To prevent devices from slipping through the cracks, IT teams should establish a standardized return tracking system that provides clear visibility into every step of the process.

• Log every device’s status before offboarding begins: Maintain an up-to-date inventory system that includes who the device is assigned to, its serial number, and return deadline.
• Use tracking-enabled return shipments: Employees should receive pre-paid shipping labels with tracking numbers, allowing IT teams to monitor when a device has been shipped, where it is in transit, and when it arrives at its final destination.
• Set automated follow-ups for delayed returns: If a laptop hasn’t been shipped by a set deadline, IT should automatically escalate the case with reminders, status requests, or involvement from HR.
• Require proof of return upon receipt: Once a laptop is returned, IT should log its status, check for damages, and update its availability for redeployment or disposal.

Step 5: Redeploy or dispose of recovered devices efficiently

When a company retrieves a laptop from an offboarded employee, it doesn’t always mean the process is over. Many organizations don’t have a clear plan for what to do next, leading to unnecessary spending on new devices, wasted inventory, and security risks from improperly decommissioned hardware.

Some devices are still in good condition and can be reassigned, while others may need repairs, resale, or disposal. Without a structured system in place, IT teams often handle these decisions on a case-by-case basis, creating inefficiencies and higher costs.

Here’s how to ensure the laptop return process is smooth and efficient:

• Assess the device’s condition upon return: Once a laptop is retrieved, IT should inspect it for physical damage, confirm it powers on, and check for hardware issues. Devices in good condition can be reassigned, while damaged ones may require repairs or recycling.
• Wipe and reimage devices before redeployment: Even if a laptop is returned promptly, it should never be reassigned without a full system wipe. IT should perform a factory reset, reinstall necessary software, and remove any lingering employee data before issuing it to another user.
• Refurbish slightly outdated devices: If a returned device is aged but still functional, companies can extend its lifespan with minor upgrades such as additional RAM, a new battery, or an SSD replacement instead of purchasing a brand-new machine. These devices can be reintroduced as part of your device refresh cycle.
• Offer resale or employee buyback options: Some companies allow existing employees to purchase their work laptops at a discounted rate. Others partner with IT refurbishers to resell old devices and recover costs.
• Follow proper disposal and e-waste guidelines: Devices that are too old or too damaged to be resold should be properly decommissioned. E-waste regulations vary by region, so companies should ensure they follow secure and compliant disposal practices to avoid legal and environmental risks.

Step 6: Ensure compliance with employee exit agreements

Even with clear policies in place, some employees delay or fail to return company equipment. This creates a compliance risk—not just in terms of missing hardware but also in information security and financial accountability. Without a structured approach to enforcing exit agreements, companies are left relying on follow-up emails and goodwill, which isn't always effective.

Exit agreements should outline device return expectations upfront, ensuring that employees understand their responsibilities before their final day. This reduces the likelihood of delays and provides a clear path for enforcement if a return doesn’t happen on time.

Key elements of a strong exit agreement include:

• Clearly define device return obligations: Contracts and offboarding documents should specify which equipment must be returned, deadlines for return, and the condition the device should be in.
• Include financial or legal consequences for non-compliance: Employees should acknowledge that failure to return company equipment may result in payroll deductions (if legally permitted) or legal action.
• Require employees to confirm receipt of return instructions: Before their last day, departing employees should acknowledge that they have received shipping labels or return instructions.
• Use a structured escalation process for unreturned devices: If a laptop isn’t returned by the deadline, IT and HR should follow a predefined escalation process, which may involve reminders, legal notices, or asset recovery services.

See also: How to Improve IT Compliance with Automated Device Management

Step 7: Reduce IT workload with automation

For many IT teams, offboarding is a manual, time-consuming process that involves tracking down devices, sending follow-up emails, logging returned equipment, and ensuring security compliance. As companies scale, relying on manual processes for laptop returns becomes inefficient, leading to delays, inconsistencies, and wasted resources.

A structured, automated approach helps IT teams manage offboarding more effectively while reducing administrative overhead. Instead of chasing down unreturned laptops or manually revoking system access, automation ensures that each step is triggered at the right time.

Here’s how IT teams can reduce workload during offboarding:

• Automate return requests and follow-ups: As soon as an offboarding request is initiated, employees should receive pre-scheduled return instructions, shipping labels, and deadlines, reducing the need for manual reminders.
• Integrate device tracking with IT asset management systems: Every assigned laptop should have a real-time status update in an IT asset management system, allowing IT teams to monitor returns without relying on spreadsheets.
• Use workflow automation for security enforcement: Instead of manually revoking access to systems, automation can trigger instant account deactivation, remote device locking, and data wiping as soon as an employee is offboarded.
• Minimize IT intervention in troubleshooting returns: Employees returning devices should have access to self-service portals that provide clear instructions, shipping options, and tracking updates, reducing the number of IT tickets related to offboarding.

See also: A Complete Guide to Global IT Asset Management for Managers

Seamless device management and offboarding with Deel IT

Deel IT provides a fully integrated solution for handling your entire device management process. Instead of relying on scattered processes, companies can automate every stage of device recovery, ensuring that nothing slips through the cracks.

• Proactive offboarding workflows: The offboarding process starts as soon as an employee is marked for departure, with clear return instructions and predefined deadlines.
• Seamless device recovery: Employees receive pre-paid shipping labels and multiple return options, reducing delays and increasing compliance.
• Automated security enforcement: System access is revoked instantly, and IT can trigger remote device locking and data wiping if a laptop isn’t returned on time.
• Real-time tracking and escalations: Every return is logged and monitored, with automated follow-ups and escalation workflows to ensure compliance.
• Smart device redeployment: Recovered laptops are tracked in an IT asset management system, allowing companies to refurbish, redeploy, or securely dispose of returned equipment without additional manual effort.

Beyond offboarding, Deel IT helps companies manage their entire IT ecosystem across a distributed workforce. From procuring and deploying new devices to ongoing support, security, and compliance, Deel IT centralizes IT operations so teams can focus on growth instead of troubleshooting device logistics.

Book a demo today to see how Deel IT can help you take control of device offboarding, tracking, and security at scale.