This may be out of left field and it may even be in the wrong forum heading, so please move if necessary.
Please bear with the backstory. I work for an employer who has given me a laptop (with "trade secrets" and proprietary software) when I commenced employment. Due to some unethical business practices, I no longer want to be associated with this company. And because I do not "play along to get along", they are actively looking to replace me. It is not easy to find a replacement for me and conversely, it is not easy for me to find a new company. Although it may be slightly easier for me. We have a contract that requires 60 day notice for termination without cause from either party. However, part of the contract allows for immediate dismissal of me "for cause". In other words, if I do shady things.
My concern, although unlikely, is that to avoid having to pay me for 60 days of work, they will try to plant evidence of wrongdoing. Yesterday, they asked me to return my laptop so another employee can use it. Seems odd, but OK, it is their computer. It is currently at home and I told them I would return it next week. I am careful about my person, but I would not put it past my company to "find" evidence of something bad on the laptop, thereby allowing them to terminate the contract immediately.
I am trying to find a way to document that I handed them a computer with no bad stuff on it. I wanted to get others opinion on this.
My thoughts were:
1) make a copy myself (breaches my contract, but who cares) and then hand it to them. But they could just say that I erased the bad stuff from my copy.
2) have a 3rd party (perhaps a computer store) make a copy (still a breach) and seal it somehow. The company could still say that I had it deleted, but having a 3rd party may make it seem more legit.
3) have a 3rd party certify they they destroyed the hard drive (probably a breach) and have them put a new one in. The problem would be that it would not have the proprietary software.
4) Same as #3 above, but just buy them an equivalent or more expensive computer.
5) any other ideas?
I know it seems like a weird question. Even proofreading it, I can see how an outsider would think this was a little over the top. But it is what it is. I wish I never took the computer.
Please bear with the backstory. I work for an employer who has given me a laptop (with "trade secrets" and proprietary software) when I commenced employment. Due to some unethical business practices, I no longer want to be associated with this company. And because I do not "play along to get along", they are actively looking to replace me. It is not easy to find a replacement for me and conversely, it is not easy for me to find a new company. Although it may be slightly easier for me. We have a contract that requires 60 day notice for termination without cause from either party. However, part of the contract allows for immediate dismissal of me "for cause". In other words, if I do shady things.
My concern, although unlikely, is that to avoid having to pay me for 60 days of work, they will try to plant evidence of wrongdoing. Yesterday, they asked me to return my laptop so another employee can use it. Seems odd, but OK, it is their computer. It is currently at home and I told them I would return it next week. I am careful about my person, but I would not put it past my company to "find" evidence of something bad on the laptop, thereby allowing them to terminate the contract immediately.
I am trying to find a way to document that I handed them a computer with no bad stuff on it. I wanted to get others opinion on this.
My thoughts were:
1) make a copy myself (breaches my contract, but who cares) and then hand it to them. But they could just say that I erased the bad stuff from my copy.
2) have a 3rd party (perhaps a computer store) make a copy (still a breach) and seal it somehow. The company could still say that I had it deleted, but having a 3rd party may make it seem more legit.
3) have a 3rd party certify they they destroyed the hard drive (probably a breach) and have them put a new one in. The problem would be that it would not have the proprietary software.
4) Same as #3 above, but just buy them an equivalent or more expensive computer.
5) any other ideas?
I know it seems like a weird question. Even proofreading it, I can see how an outsider would think this was a little over the top. But it is what it is. I wish I never took the computer.