Employees who work from home often use company-supplied systems and devices, which helps ensure that they have consistent, state-of-the-art equipment to do their work. However, organizations should provide usage guidelines, such as this policy, covering the responsibilities of IT staff and employees.

From the policy:

For an organization to properly implement this policy it is important to separate and document IT department responsibilities and individual employee responsibilities.

IT department responsibilities
The IT department should:

• Arrange to obtain standard equipment for employee home usage to ensure consistent costs and ease of support.
• Utilize asset tags and track equipment via electronic documentation.
• Utilize mobile device management if applicable to be able to reset passwords, block unnecessary applications, and locate/wipe lost or stolen devices.
• Ensure the patching of remote computer systems/mobile devices.
• Ensure the use of anti-malware on remote computer systems/mobile devices and be able to confirm that they receive frequent signature updates.

Employee responsibilities
Employees provided with company-owned equipment should:

• Take care of equipment and keep it in good working order.
• Be responsible for loss/replacement of equipment depending on circumstances (careless use, neglect, etc.).
• Adhere to any existing corporate policies, such as those governing email usage, internet access, and other requirements/restrictions when using this equipment.
• Secure equipment (e.g., laptops or mobile devices) when not in use.
• Utilize this equipment primarily for business purposes — limited personal/recreational use is permitted where reasonable and when it does not infringe upon work duties.
• Report any issues or problems with equipment to the IT department.
• Return faulty equipment or replace it as needed (upon direction from the IT department).