"I remember reading about people working in big tech companies who had been there for decades waking up and all of a sudden being locked out and not having access to years of their work."
I'm starting to wonder if my ex company is the only one who only gave 2 weeks severance (a billion-dollar corporation) when others are giving months. :( AND in this interview, I fist-bump this quote "So many people are trapped in this oppressive system that is designed to keep you in a box working to stay afloat while the upper income brackets make so much more and are able to decide so much about our futures." We need laws. Mandatory severance amounts. Penalties for profitable companies laying off people etc. etc.
If you sign an NDA then no, you shouldn't download any of that work. In non-NDA scenarios, a lot of times contracts outline specifically what you aren't allowed to download. Things like "Trade Secrets" and "Confidential Information" shouldn't be downloaded. But if you have designs that don't contain those things, it's usually okay, as long as you check the contract to make sure. You can also amend the contract, if the employer is open to it, to include a clause that says it's okay to have copies of your designs for your portfolio. TLDR: read the fine print
I'm starting to wonder if my ex company is the only one who only gave 2 weeks severance (a billion-dollar corporation) when others are giving months. :( AND in this interview, I fist-bump this quote "So many people are trapped in this oppressive system that is designed to keep you in a box working to stay afloat while the upper income brackets make so much more and are able to decide so much about our futures." We need laws. Mandatory severance amounts. Penalties for profitable companies laying off people etc. etc.
Thank you for sharing Zoe!
I love the tip about regularly saving your work (when you can, legally) and metrics.
I always save on a separate personal file a list of my achievements (all of them, small and big).
It's a good way to easily update your cv if anything happens and most importantly, something to stay positive and confident on the low days.
PS: Melanie, I love that you "feel attached to bright green" 😂 New logo is 👌👌
thank you pauline! good call to save it on a separate personal file. think i'm going to start doing that instead of just screenshots :)
I would be cautious about downloading your work.
The company paid you during your time employed there. They own everything you've created.
If you take anything from the company you might be liable. A stapler, a bit of code, a client, or some designs.
Now, designs might not be as reusable as code or a client (or even a stapler), but be aware that your contract likely says this is 'theft'.
Yes, I'm aware that you've lost your job. Imagine how much worse it would be if you were taken to court while you're not having any income?
Long->short: think twice before downloading all the work you've done for a client.
If you sign an NDA then no, you shouldn't download any of that work. In non-NDA scenarios, a lot of times contracts outline specifically what you aren't allowed to download. Things like "Trade Secrets" and "Confidential Information" shouldn't be downloaded. But if you have designs that don't contain those things, it's usually okay, as long as you check the contract to make sure. You can also amend the contract, if the employer is open to it, to include a clause that says it's okay to have copies of your designs for your portfolio. TLDR: read the fine print