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Subject:Re: An ugly job incident (long) From:Rowena Hart <rhart -at- INTRINSYC -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 20 Oct 1998 09:16:04 -0700
Anon,
There are some legal reasons why it *might* have been
improper to throw away hand-written notes (even if they
were available in electronic form), and delete files from
the server (even if they are personal files).
Essentially, anything created with company property and
on company time is owned by the company. Tough nuts.
They own your e-mail, they own your doodles, and they
own your resume if it was created and stored on their
computer.
That said, most companies (and managers) have enough
common sense to realize people keep personal things in
their offices, both in hard and electronic form. That's why
they give you time to clear out when you're laid off.
You *are* guilty of really bad timing. You reacted in a knee-
jerk way to bad news, possibly because you were already
raw from losing your management position. It's under-
standable, but as John Posada pointed out, it looks sus-
picious to the employer.
Having been laid off recently, although under much better
circumstances than you describe, I can offer the following
suggestions for how to react to layoff news:
* Ask for permission to delete files.
* Make sure the company has a backup of deleted files,
in case they want to use them again.
* Ask for permission to *add* files. Write notes and inst-
ructions about how to perform your duties so that anyone
taking over your job will be able to get up to speed quickly.
* Ask for permission to copy files for use in your portfolio.
* Get a witness. It can be anyone in the company you trust.
* Clearly state your intentions, and stick to them.
If you're going to be laid off, go out with good humour and
a solid demonstration of pride/professionalism. As Tim
Altom said, be a gentleman.
Don't blame yourself too much for the situation. However, a
good dose of self-examination will help you understand how
your actions (in response to the actions of others, of course)
contributed to the ugly situation. You can always learn from
your mistakes, and sometimes what you learn about your-
self isn't always great. I think you made a mistake, but hell,
we all make mistakes, and I've made ones far worse than
what you describe. Doesn't make me (or you) bad people.
