Question: I work remotely. I'm soon off abroad for a few months and will continue to work remotely while I'm away, taking the company laptop and possibly other similar hardware with me to perform my duties. The trip is my own choice.

My employer has asked if I could insure the hardware through my travel insurance, saying that he doubts the company policy will cover the USA (we're based in the UK).

As the hardware itself does not belong to me and is needed to fulfil my job (without any clauses covering insurance in my contract), is this something I can reasonably be expected to do?

Answer: 
It's a tricky issue.

1. The "overseas" aspect is not relevant. The issue at hand is just, "Do you have to pay for accidental damage to equipment the company supplied." This would apply whether you broke it in your house, commuting, in Patagonia or indeed even *at the office*.
2. My *personal view* is that the company just has to suck it up and pay.
3. Particularly in the wildly-paid, go-go world of software today ... it's hard to see that you can make a programmer do .. well, anything.
4. For me personally (only one example) if one of the folks smashes something or loses it, I just sigh, click to Amazon, and hand out another one :/ What are we gonna do, fire them and spend 3 months / 50k finding another expert in some obscure field?
5. Then again - some few companies have the explicit policy: "Wow! We give you $2800 a year against equipment costs!" (You see this sort of blather in a few job ads on OS, from companies trying to hire programmers cheap.) In that case, such a company would probably assert that "that's it"... if you lose the 2500 bucks worth of gear for that year, it's on you to dig up another laptop. However: Even at such an "explicit-yearly-budget" company, unfortunately for employers, points 3 and 4 probably apply. What are you going to do - "save $1200" and hence annoy every programmer there?

So one opinion, basically: "they should pay in almost all cases" *as a general answer*.

That being said,
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6. In in this particular exact case. It sounds like you're **getting a fairly "sweet deal" from your employer - they are letting you work remotely while you fool around in the US?** If so .. my gut instinct is to "suck it up" and pay for it yourself.

Why? You want to avoid being in a position where you "owe them a favor on a minor point"; you want to avoid looking like you "Got every last dime on a minor point even in a situation where they were doing you a big courtesy".

NOTE: *Put it in writing* that ***as a courtesy*** you will be insuring the laptop when overseas, and do so.

(TBC: if however the company is "sending you to" the US on a project - then, flooglestick 'em. Of course, obviously, they have to completely pay the insurance/etc. End of story.)

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Even more information!

> 
> "It's my own choice and they've said they'd have no problem with it (since I work remotely anyway)"
> 
> 
> 

One immediate fact:

* As a kind of broad general rule, *if you work remotely* then *you pay for your own gear*. This is not a firm rule, but it's a general rule.

And then,

Looking again at point (6). I have to say, I would treat this as a point 6 situation. They *are* being understanding taking the view that "they don't have a problem with it". {Aside: let's see what they say in a month when they realize the time zone issues.} Just one man's opinion then, you *should* "go the extra mile" and politely cover the danger yourself.

NOTE: *Put it in writing* that ***as a courtesy*** you will be insuring the laptop when overseas, and do so.
I do not have sufficient reputation to comment, hence writing this as an answer.

You say you work remotely. Does your contract explicitly mention this? 
If yes, does it impose any limitations to the place you can work remotely from (e.g. to the UK)?

If no, then I would see the responsibility of getting insurance at your employers side.