Personal property stolen while at client

[North887]

Hi

So im working at the clients and leave some personal items there over the weekend, nothing hugely expensive or electronic, also nothing confidential either. Only I come back after the weekend and find its not there anymore. It appears that its been stolen, now this isnt a place I would expect this to happen. Im not suggesting anything untoward from the client, they were pretty shocked.

So my query is who covers the cost?
1. Suck it up, the world aint full of sunshine and rainbows, buy a replacement with my personal income.
2. Get the client to cover the cost in the next invoice, id discuss it with them prior. However my worry here is the IR35 risk as id consider this something an employer would do.
3. Expense it through my Ltd service company and treat as an allowable expense.

[northernladuk]

Why should the client cover the costs of personal items left by a supplier? Raise it with them by all means as they need to know they have a thief and ask the question but don't be surprised if they don't want to know.

What have your personal items got to do with your business as well? What belongs to you and what belongs to the business are clearly separate.

Treat it like you would if you lost your personal items in a restaurant or in the street. Write it off or claim on your insurance against away from home cover.

A bit surprising you can't different the difference between personal, business and client.

[Quagmire]

Stolen or just cleaned up from the desk? Ask around, but do not jump to conclusions...

[Scruff]

Personal Items - they are yours, not your Company's. You left them there, so you pick up the bill.
Company Owned items - your Company can replace them.

Either way, I would go on record and email / report to their security so as to have a record.

[Pondlife]

Are you being deliberately vague about what these personal items were?

How are we supposed to provide an answer if we don't know what's missing.

Did you leave your coat on the back of your chair and now it's missing... What?

[d000hg]

Why should the client cover the costs of personal items left by a supplier? Raise it with them by all means as they need to know they have a thief and ask the question but don't be surprised if they don't want to know.

If a crime is committed on a company's premises, surely they have some legal responsibilities of some sort, depending on the crime.

[SueEllen]

Are you being deliberately vague about what these personal items were?

How are we supposed to provide an answer if we don't know what's missing.

Did you leave your coat on the back of your chair and now it's missing... What?

Sorry the poster sounds stupid.

Even as a permie I never left "personal stuff" of value in the office. Even with the best security offices aren't secure.

It's more likely that someone saw the mess the poster left and cleaned it up. In some cases the clean up equals putting it in the bin and lost property.

[North887]

Hi

It was an item of clothing, not the sort of thing ud expect to be taken. Its definately not been cleaned up, someone had sticky fingers.

I only asked about the client covering as when I was a perm I worked a few places where im sure they would have picked up the tab for it. My argument for my service company covering it would that itd be a genuine cost of employment. The item was required to do the work, it wasnt something id ever used in a personal capacity.

[Pondlife]

Hi

It was an item of clothing, not the sort of thing ud expect to be taken. Its definately not been cleaned up, someone had sticky fingers.

I only asked about the client covering as when I was a perm I worked a few places where im sure they would have picked up the tab for it. My argument for my service company covering it would that itd be a genuine cost of employment. The item was required to do the work, it wasnt something id ever used in a personal capacity.

Again, you are being vague. If it is something that is wholly and exclusively required for you to do your role then yes it's a company expense but you are saying it's a personal item. which is it? This would be a lot simpler if you said "someone has stolen my hard hat" in the OP.

Otherwise this drip feed of info is just fcking annoying to people trying to help!

[jmo21]

can't see any company "picking up the tab" for any personal or "your company" owned item.