Working in China
Company Equipment and Asset Handover in China: A Guide for Foreign Employees
How foreign employees in China can document laptops, phones, access cards, data, expenses, damage, and return confirmation when joining, transferring, or leaving a job.
Rules and procedures can change. Check the linked official sources before acting on time-sensitive information.
Quick answer
What you need to know
Maintain a signed asset inventory from issue to return, separate company data from personal accounts, report problems early, and obtain written closure during transfer or offboarding.
- Record serial numbers, accessories, condition, ownership, and return expectations when assets are issued.
- Use approved storage and accounts; do not copy company data for personal retention.
- Report loss, damage, security incidents, and disputed deductions promptly in writing.
- Get a dated receipt showing what was returned and any remaining items or issues.
Laptops, phones, security tokens, access cards, monitors, tools, samples, and corporate accounts can become offboarding disputes when nobody has a shared inventory. The safest handover starts on the day an item is issued.
Create an issue record
Record the item description, asset or serial number, accessories, condition, date, custodian, approved location, and replacement or return rules. Photograph existing damage where policy permits. Ask whether home-office equipment, phone numbers, software licences, and reimbursed purchases belong to the company or employee.
Keep the inventory with your employment records. The China employment contract guide identifies other documents worth retaining.
Keep company and personal systems separate
Use approved accounts, devices, storage, and security tools. Avoid routing company data through personal email or cloud storage. If a personal device is authorized for work, ask IT what management, backup, monitoring, removal, and privacy rules apply.
Report lost equipment, suspected compromise, accidental disclosure, or damage immediately through the approved channel. Preserve case numbers and do not improvise a reset or repair without instruction.
Plan the return before the last day
Ask HR and IT for the asset list and return appointment early, especially if you work remotely or are moving cities. Reconcile chargers, cases, keys, cards, tokens, documents, storage media, and company-paid services. Submit outstanding expenses separately through the expense reimbursement guide.
Follow IT’s documented process for data transfer, account closure, device wiping, and personal-data removal. Do not delete business records or retain confidential files merely because you created them.
Asset handover checklist
- Issued items, identifiers, accessories, and condition match the inventory.
- Ownership of purchased or reimbursed equipment is confirmed.
- Loss, damage, repairs, and security incidents are documented.
- Business files and account ownership transferred through approved systems.
- Personal accounts are removed only under the agreed IT process.
- Cards, keys, tokens, documents, media, and subscriptions reconciled.
- Return date, place, packaging, courier, and recipient confirmed.
- Signed receipt lists returned items and unresolved matters.
- Any proposed charge or deduction has a written basis and calculation.
Official reference points
- Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security
- National People’s Congress laws and regulations database
Employment, deduction, confidentiality, and data questions depend on the documents and facts. Confirm the process with HR and IT, and seek qualified advice for a material dispute.
Frequently asked questions
Common questions
Can an employer deduct equipment damage from salary?
Do not assume either outcome. Review the contract, policy, evidence, and applicable rules, then ask HR for the basis and calculation in writing or seek qualified advice.
Should I factory-reset a company phone or laptop?
Only follow the employer's approved IT process. An unauthorized reset can remove business records, security evidence, or managed settings.
Can I keep copies of work files for my portfolio?
Only with clear authorization and after checking confidentiality, personal-data, intellectual-property, and client obligations. Use public or employer-approved material.
What proves I returned an asset?
A dated handover record should identify the item, serial or asset number, accessories, condition, recipient, unresolved issues, and both parties' acknowledgment.
