Lesson 7.5
Company Property, Equipment, Keys & Access
Estimated time: 6 minutes
Businesses trust employees with property.
Examples include:
- phones
- tablets
- computers
- vehicles
- machinery
- keys
- access cards
- uniforms
- tools
- printers
- fuel cards
- POS devices
Responsible use means more than:
“I didn’t steal it.”
It also means taking reasonable care of it.
Scenario
An employee is given a company tablet.
She allows a friend to use it to browse unrelated websites and download applications.
The friend has no authorization to use company equipment.
Even if nothing bad happens, the employee has created unnecessary risk.
Keys and Access
A key, PIN, access card or entry code may give someone access to:
- offices
- stock
- records
- cash
- systems
- customer information
Do not casually lend access simply because someone says:
“I know the manager.”
Follow authorization procedures.
Lost Property
If a business device, key or access item is lost:
report it promptly.
Do not hide the loss hoping it will eventually reappear.
Early reporting may allow the business to:
- lock an account
- change a code
- disable access
- protect information
- replace a key
Remember
When something gives access to the business, losing it can be more serious than losing the object itself.