Ethical or Not?

[FLA]

I think it's ok to use them for your personal use or for your friends and family but selling them without permission strikes me as unethical.

[disneysteve]

I think it's ok to use them for your personal use or for your friends and family but selling them without permission strikes me as unethical.

Personally, I disagree with that. Once the item comes into my possession, it's mine. I can do whatever I want with it from that point on.

My only hesitation here is what Storm mentioned. Is it actually official company policy that you can take stuff, or did some manager just come up with that on his own?

[HundredK]

When your company has a policy of disposing them via recycling, and you skirt that policy without their knowledge or permission in order to gain financially, it's not ethical, simple as that. It's actually stealing when you look at it that way. At the last company I worked for, policy was to make sure that two individuals were present when items were destroyed or recycled, to ensure that this didn't happen. One person who attempted to skirt this rule was fired. It is stealing, no question. If you do want to do this, you should get permission, and the value of the item should be included as imputed (taxable) income to you.

I worked at a company prior to that who often allowed employees to purchase old equipment, and we either would charge them fair market value or impute income to the extent that they were receiving a benefit.

But taking it without their knowledge so that you can earn a buck (a tax free buck, mind you), and admitting you don't want to tell them because you don't want others to have that same advantage? No, I see no way that falls anywhere in the ethical camp.

[disneysteve]

we as IT can take equipment for ourselves whenever we want...manager does not care.

you skirt that policy without their knowledge or permission

This is really the question here. Are you taking it without their permission or is the policy that you are allowed to take it?

[disneysteve]

taking it without their knowledge so that you can earn a buck (a tax free buck, mind you.

I know I'm in the minority, but I report all of my ebay income and pay taxes on it accordingly.

Part of the reason I do that is because I have a business license from when I used to sell collectibles actively and needed a sales tax license to sell at toy and collectible shows.

Part of the reason I do it is because it allows me to contribute more to my SEP-IRA.

[HundredK]

I know I'm in the minority, but I report all of my ebay income and pay taxes on it accordingly.

Part of the reason I do that is because I have a business license from when I used to sell collectibles actively and needed a sales tax license to sell at toy and collectible shows.

Part of the reason I do it is because it allows me to contribute more to my SEP-IRA.

Smart to do. Everything I sell on ebay I actually sell at a loss. Because I have spent wayyyyy too much money in the past, ha!

[disneysteve]

Smart to do. Everything I sell on ebay I actually sell at a loss. Because I have spent wayyyyy too much money in the past, ha!

I do a fair amount of that, too, especially as part of our decluttering efforts, but I still sell a lot of things at a profit.

[~bs]

not ethical unless you disclose to your company that's what youre doing with the laptops, and give them an opportunity to make the money themselves.

if they are telling you it's ok to do, I would get it in writing in case they change their mind later.

[GoodSteward]

Well, I'm also in IT and I take home unused equipment. Usually, IT departments don't have to keep track of used/out of date equipment, so within their own department they do things like this. However, if the company found out employees were making a profit it would come to a halt.

Our policy is that we can take it if it is out of warranty and will not be used again, for personal use. It's more of an unwritten rule, and we say "we got rid of it." I would imagine this is the same idea for other IT departments. If people were allowed to do take stuff and sell it openly, suddenly even relevant stuff would start going missing(at least that would be the risk assumed). I have a lot of used systems at my house. It's a great perk. However, it is for "personal use only."

Also, the company could get in trouble due to a security risk if it was found out in an audit that their IT equipment was being sold via third party.

[~bs]

^

The equipment should either be destroyed, sold on the company's behalf, or donated to charity.

It's highly irregular for an employee to be gaining personally from obsolete company property.

[TexasHusker]

True, and they've chosen to trash it.

OP said they are free to take equipment so I don't see where he is doing anything wrong by taking it if that is the company policy. What he does with it once he gets it home is no longer up to the company.

They have not chosen to trash it per the OP. But instead paying an e-waste company to handle it. Big difference. If the company was good with re-selling it, they'd be doing it themselves and adding income to the bottom line.

I highly doubt that the e-waste company is re-selling the product. That would be unethical (and probably breach of contract) in and of itself.

[disneysteve]

I highly doubt that the e-waste company is re-selling the product.

What else would they be doing with it? If they were just going to trash it or recycle it, you wouldn't need them. You could just put it in the trash yourself (or drop it off at a recycling center like Best Buy or Goodwill).

[disneysteve]

Our policy is that we can take it if it is out of warranty and will not be used again, for personal use. It's more of an unwritten rule

Does that unwritten rule also say you can't sell it?

Unless it is actually forbidden somehow (and an unwritten rule doesn't count), I still don't see the issue here as long as you have the right to take it in the first place.

[rennigade]

Sounds to me like you know very well it's not ethical and you're looking for help to justify it anyway.

I really dont. My wife thinks its unethical but I dont personally. Ive been doing this since I started in IT 10 years ago.

Is Corporate okay with this or just this particular manager? It is possible your manager could be violating a company policy.

There is no agreement on who picks up the e-waste. Typically we wait till its free on earth day possibly...I forget. Only once since I worked here did we pay someone to pick it up.

As far as company policy...Im not aware of one? If it does exist its not in our company manual. We're a small company...only about 500 people.

This is really the question here. Are you taking it without their permission or is the policy that you are allowed to take it?

There is no policy period. My boss said we can take out of warranty stuff that is going to be recycled otherwise. WE actually just unhooked an HP laser printer...perfectly fine but old...we just updated printers. A person said they wanted it so they let them take it home with knowledge that we would not be supporting this device. They actually gave him the remaining toner that was new in box.

[disneysteve]

There is no agreement on who picks up the e-waste.

So it doesn't sound like there is any contract involved with an e-waste company so no issue there.

My boss said we can take out of warranty stuff that is going to be recycled otherwise. WE actually just unhooked an HP laser printer...perfectly fine but old...we just updated printers. A person said they wanted it so they let them take it home with knowledge that we would not be supporting this device. They actually gave him the remaining toner that was new in box.

Then I stand by my original opinion. There is nothing at all wrong with what you're doing. They are giving it to you willingly. What you do with it from there is entirely up to you.