I've heard they do charge and don't charge any of you recently lay off keep your COU ?
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give the phone to someone who still works there and have them plant it under your bosses desk after an "issue" with the cameras. wait as long as possible and then send them a dummy phone back. say it was stolen and it must be hidden somewhere. Asset security finds it during their investigation and Your boss goes to jail and you get revenge for them stealing your millstone by selecting you for severance over your coworkers. You then turn in the ASM who got the job over you for setting up the boss and then call in a 1000 pizzas on a demo phone from the store. they hire you back because you did that to every store and they need employees. That's what i did to get where i am today -
Glen Lurie
Depends on whether or not your manager pursues it. If your store manager is like mine you would be safe since he can't manage to keep his shoelaces tied. Do the right thing and give it back. If it goes to asset protection they will blacklist it and at least won't be able to be used on att network. Not sure if it is across carriers if you find a way to unlock it. Maybe one day you will need a polygraph for a great job and this will linger in your memory when they ask about taking company property.
I have known managers who have been told they must report it to asset protection, especially for something like an iPad. Plus they must file a police report. Always turn in your device, you never know if you'll want a different type of job there 5 years from now. You will be marked as a do not rehire.
they send you fake warning letters, but eventually they just remove it from their system so they don't get dinged for it on audit.
It's not worth it
@MznZwow-2zik you are correct. Most good SELs will let you try to hunt it down first. You will get a couple calls from the manager or asset protection and probably a withheld paycheck. In my state, any theft above $500 is a fourth degree felony.
In order to get it out of COU inventory it has to be reported to asset protection and usually they want a police report. No they probably won't do much more to pursue it but why would you want a police report filed against you for theft?
@MznZwow-1vbx but did you get a severance? Probably not. They will withhold your severance if all company issued devices are not given back to them. Trust me, this is not something you want to screw with if you are in line for severance.
Be honest and turn it in. Then again, I have a conscience.
LOL. Some of these comments are over the top. No they will not charge you for your COU if you don't turn it in, I think asset protection has better things to do than go after your refurbished phone that's probably on the EOL list anyway.
Source: Kept my COU phone and COU tablet after I quit.
Why would you want their phone anyway
Why would you steal some crappy phone? The fact your asking if you should steal from the company proves that the they made right choice in your layoff.
It's not called a Company Owned Unit for nothing. Expect a visit from Asset Protection if you don't.
COU is company property. I wouldn't intentionally keep it.
I have not seen an employee get charged for taking their COU phone. Ever. I have seen MANY terminations. Now the only thing is I would not risk it as it might be a way for them to say that you don't qualify for your severance package if you do steal the phone. I am not sure how it works I am not saying that is what would happen but I would never want to risk my severance.