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Jerz
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I heard that a girl who worked at my company was fired and deleted everything she had on her computer before she left. Not sure why it all wasnt backed up on the server but it really was a pain in the toochus for everyone here when she left. Now we make the person leave almost right away and they are shadowed by HR when they gather their things from their office.

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The email addresses I can understand, but why would have your only copies of important photos on your company computer?

Anyways, every time I've been laid off the company has been really good about making the process easy. I can't understand why a company wouldn't let you get some photos off your company computer. Maybe they're scared you'll steal or trash important documents?

RF
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We didn't really lay people off in my office. But when you quit, it's up to you to clear off your laptop. If you don't, then it's fair game for the IT people to see...the few times that folks have been fired, they get a half day notice to gather their things...
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Storing family photo on your work computer is a bad idea.
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At my company, from what I've seen, if they are planning on firing/laying you off, they ask you to bring your laptop with you to meet with HR. So I don't think you have a chance to back anything up. IT simultaneously removes you from the system.

However, I heard of a case where IT did it a week early and thus the person found out he was let go when they couldn't login.
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Jerz
Most of us going to school will have more advanced notice since we're resigning rather than getting laid off, but this was a good reminder to me of all the things on my work laptop - mostly email addresses and some personal files - I'll need to copy before my last day:

Quote:
Michele Wallace had worked for Medialink Worldwide Inc. for 18 years when the New York video-distribution company laid her off last May. When the company's information-technology staff quickly shut down her computer and her BlackBerry, the senior vice president of client services lost family photos and every personal and business contact on her cellphone and computer.

https://online.wsj.com/article/SB1241051 ... al_journal


What if her Hard Drive crashed? Would have been the same outcome. not a good idea not to have the photos backed up or stored elsewhere.
At the same time, i can't think of anyone who does not have personal items on work computers (unless it is Chevron that has strict no-Internet access policy for some employees; then it is useless).

However, wiping out outlook and killing blackberry are simply ridiculous policies, esp. if you are an SVP.... dumb.
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At the same time, i can't think of anyone who does not have personal items on work computers

Same here, I even know more than a few people I work with whose only computer is their work laptop. Probably not a smart idea, since I could see them in a similar situation as the woman in the article.