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I wonder if the difference here is whether the employer buys laptops outright or leases them. If they lease they surely need to get them back or pay a penalty. If they’ve bought them outright then it’s hard to imagine it would be cost effective to pay for someone to return a 4 year old HP laptop. Shipping plus labor to wipe it would have to exceed the value of most “business” laptops.

Yea. Did the same. Anything older than 3 years we would give them the option to keep or donate to their local schools. Ofc, we would make them sign documents that we will not support these machines any longer, so we would cut liability instantly.

The buy cheap models in bulk, claim tax deductions and write them off after a few years. They’re probably paying less than $500 for a laptop your average wage slave. Some of them would probably cost more to dispose of than they’re worth.