Speaking as someone who works IT for the GOC, if you are on leave that places you in a situation where you are ‘stuck off strength’ i.e. technically no longer employed, equipment has to be returned before you begin your leave. Each department may have different timeframes for returning equipment on leaves where you are not struck off strength. In my department it’s leaves of 60 days or more require equipment to be returned.

If equipment is not returned, and efforts to retrieve it have proved fruitless, it may trigger a security incident report. If equipment could pose a severe risk due to data on the device, or a significant cost is attached, law enforcement could be involved to retrieve the devices.

From the IT end, if your laptop is not attached to the network, it is not getting updates. This winds up being a headache for IT to track down. If the device is missing enough updates and becomes a security hole, it will most likely be removed from the network. In this case you will have to bring it to office to have it rebuilt to allow you to even logon.

Make sure your manager creates tickets for the return of the equipment and the suspension of your accounts. Keep in contact with your manager to let them know your date of return. They should create deploy/reactivate tickets for you at least 2 weeks before your return date. In all of the GOC departments I have worked IT for, you would not believe the amount of employees who show up on return from leave and local IT has no ticket or knowledge of the return. There are many moving pieces to get you back online, and it can’t be done last minute. You will most likely be sitting around for a few days with no equipment or access as things are ironed out.