The case of the missing laptop (part 1)

Rate this page

Rating statistics for this page

3.0 out of 5 from 46 votes

Breakdown

10 votes

8 votes

9 votes

10 votes

9 votes

Pete, the Office Manager at Focus on the Child in Millcaster, was working late. He hadn’t been able to finish an important piece of work so had copied the information he needed - including payroll data, bank account details and personal information - to his laptop so that he could complete the work at home. He had to have the figures ready to give the Regional Director, Linda, who was visiting from the London head office the next day.  

Pete popped out of his office to get some papers from the photocopier before leaving to catch his train. When he came back, his briefcase containing the laptop was missing. He broke out in a cold sweat and frantically searched his office, looking under the desks and in drawers. He'd definitely left the briefcase on the chair - where was it now? Had someone taken it?  

Suspects

Pete starts thinking about who was in the office. There had been a few people around but he hadn’t really taken much notice, there hadn't been a theft at work before. He begins to suspect Glenn, the new IT Support Administrator.

Pete had wondered if Glenn has a drug problem - last week he'd asked for a loan of his salary, often seemed edgy and nervous and there had been rumours about money problems. Glenn has hardly spoken to Pete since he joined even though he is his line manager.

Pete also knows that their usual cleaner left last week. A new cleaner from the cleaning company started a couple of days ago. He doesn’t know her name but thinks she’s from eastern Europe.

Panic

Pete is in a state of shock. He starts thinking about the data on the laptop. "I don't have permission to take this data away. It's not encrypted. I've breached the data protection and ICT policies. The bank account details don't have password protection. All the addresses and details of colleagues can be read by anyone....!"

As Pete is responsible for implementing these policies, he realises he could lose his job. He’d taken data home before without any problems. This time he only wanted to get ahead of himself by getting this job done in time for Linda's visit.   

Pete sits at his desk shaking – he can’t decide what to do. There are so many thoughts in his head: should he keep quiet? where could it have got to? please let it turn up in the office quickly!  Should he tell his manager, Siobhan?

What next?

Pete takes a deep breath and decides to ring Siobhan and tell her what has happened. She’s just about to go out for supper with a friend. When he tells her, she’s absolutely furious: "You of all people should know better - you know the risks. I don't need this with Linda coming tomorrow!"

She tries to keep calm, "Pete, what could have happened to the briefcase. Are you sure you've looked properly?" 

Pete says he thinks that someone’s taken it but Siobhan dismisses it: "well we've never had a theft before so why now?".  Pete says "I know but I'm pretty sure I saw Glenn working late and I heard the hoover going next door so the cleaner must still be here - and you know that she's a new one". Siobhan asks "why would Glenn take your laptop - and what for?".

Listening in

Just outside Pete’s office door, Glenn is about to leave when he hears a raised voice. He recognises that it is Pete and he sounds upset. Listening, he picks up something about data protection and a laptop. He can’t believe what he hears next – Pete’s lost his laptop - and he hears his own name!  Pete suspects him of having a drug problem! Glenn goes pale. With his heart pounding, he leaves the building, slamming the door behind him. Pete looks up in alarm and says, ”Siobhan, I think someone may have overheard what I just said.”

Have your say

• If you were Pete, what would you do next?
• How should Siobhan manage the problem?
• Is this a disciplinary issue - should heads roll?
• Have you been in a similar situation? How did you handle it?

Have your say on the Millcaster Tales forum.

Other episodes

Find out what happens next in part 2.

Catch up with past episodes.