Alucid

If your employer is withholding your final paycheck because you didn’t return company property—like a laptop, phone, or keys—you may be wondering: Can they really do that?

The Right to Repair movement continues to gain traction across the U.S., advocating for the rights of consumers and businesses to repair and maintain their own equipment—without being locked into OEM service agreements.

A comprehensive IT offboarding checklist designed to ensure a smooth and secure transition.

Use this checklist to stay compliant with federal and state laws when managing unreturned company property during employee offboarding.

When an employee leaves without returning company equipment — like a laptop, monitor, or phone — it’s tempting to withhold their final paycheck until it’s returned. But is that legal?

It’s a question many employees ask when leaving a job— “Can they hold my last paycheck if I haven’t returned my laptop, phone or other gear?”

If done improperly, it can expose your business to serious legal and financial consequences.

Before touching that final paycheck, make sure you’ve taken these essential steps.

Yes — there are important differences!

Proper retrieval and disposal of IT assets is no longer just best practice — it’s a regulatory and environmental obligation.