Commentary

Dear Bev: My company owns my computer but if I'm laid off, who gets to keep my business contact list?

by Beverly Weinstein , January 13, 2009

As long as you plan in advance, you both do.

As the Chinese proverb goes, "preparedness prevents peril." Whether we're in an uncertain employment market or not, be sure to keep copies of important information that you'll need at your next job. I'm not suggesting you take anything that would put you in a legal quagmire or be considered proprietary. But take the basics. Your contact lists are a must, as well as presentation templates and other items you may want to have in an interview.

It was no surprise that lay-offs were in the works across the media landscape. Companies announced their plans in the press, and some even provided timing. But people were still blindsided by the bad news.

One of the results: They lost access to their computers with their contact information and a variety of other documents that could be useful in the future.

Typically when someone is fired, he or she is asked to leave the office the same day. In companies where entire departments were eliminated, the day proved especially chaotic. It's unlikely that many people caught in the surprise and chaos of the moment had either the time or the presence of mind to figure out what they should take with them.

Then there were the people that were traveling the day lay-offs were announced. Some got a phone call, and others were called back to town, but they had limited opportunity to access information that might be relevant. Women out on maternity leave may have been caught off guard, but there's a better chance they had their computers with them. If not, they found themselves in the same sticky situation.

The lesson here is pretty obvious. Even if you believe your job to be safe, saving these items is a wise move. After all, weren't you the one who spent years building that contact list? You're entitled to it.

Editor's note: If you've lost a job in the media industry recently, or are afraid of doing so, despair not. Beverly Weinstein's column will reappear here regularly dispensing sound advice and practical tactics for managing your career in a volatile employment market. If you have specific questions about what you should do, please post them below, and Bev will help you out. Or if you feel uncomfortable posting your queries publicly, feel free to email Bev anonymously at dearbev@markhammedia.com

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2 comments about "Dear Bev: My company owns my computer but if I'm laid off, who gets to keep my business contact list?".

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Erik Sherman from Freelance Writer, January 13, 2009 at 8:11 a.m.
I'm not a lawyer, but as I frequently cover intellectual property issues, I'd suggest that this is questionable and even dangerous advice.
When you are working for a company, what you do in the process of the job belongs to the company. That includes contact lists, templates, and anything else. You are *not* legally entitled to the contact lists because they do not belong to you. Taking them is stealing.
To keep them and avoid the possibility of prosecution, you'd have to get the company's permission to retain a copy and use the material. To tell people to simply keep copies for their own use is, in many states, the same as advising them to break the law.
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Paula Lynn from Who Else Unlimited, January 13, 2009 at 10:29 a.m.

How about personal property? (from photos to personally purchased sales aids- in my case it included a printer, filing cabinet, awards and more) What can one do if the company does return it? Is the company responsible? Is the individual who has the responsibility to return it or is the company just liable for that person not doing their job? I had been told that after contacting in writing, return receipt, various people at the company and the union, I should have filed a police report and try to have the person responsible for stealing and have them arrested.