Done myself out of my own job!

[Autonio]

I started a new job just over two years ago. 25 hrs a week. Realised very quickly that it did not take 25 hrs to do this job most of it could be done with a well designed spreadsheet. Eventually got actual job down to 8 hrs a week. Rest of the time looking around and asking for more work from manager.

I went on secondment a year ago. Mostly because I was bored and to try out another role. Secondment is now ending old manager asked for a meeting.

They don’t want me back on the 25 odd hours I had before as I’ve shown the job can be done in one day. Fair enough I suppose BUT they also want me to share my spreadsheet with colleague who does my job on a different site with a view to cutting her hours.

I’m not happy to do that at all. I can do the job in 8 hrs but that doesn’t mean colleague can. She loves her job and I would feel horrible being responsible for her losing hours. I said that to manager in a more diplomatic way and she mentioned having to speak to HR re intellectual property!

I’ve been offered a permanent role at my secondment so I’m planning on not returning to that role anyway but can they really make me share my spreadsheet with colleague?

Nobody can make you do anything.

I can’t see why not.

Expect a disciplinary if you refuse, and they'll just access your files and send it on anyway.

You created a spreadsheet in the course of your work. It is the company's property.

If the spreadsheet was designed to do an activity within the business and you did it at work then it really belongs to the employer.

Why wouldn’t the other person be able to use it, are the jobs different? It is sad the other person might lose hours but they would just employ someone to design a spreadsheet if they don’t have yours but now know that it works

Well she could use it if I sat her down and showed her how. But what am I supposed to say “oh hey let me show you this great spreadsheet so manager can cut your hours down to nothing”?!

It’s really not your concern. You have a permanent job elsewhere in the organisation. Workplaces aren’t charities designed to protect employment.

You have no right to refuse and if you do you will be damaging your own reputation and future with the organisation.

Ask for 12K extra per year in your new job, say you developed the spreadsheet in your own time, and you own it.
Ask for half your old salary as a handshake to leave it there.

You’re obviously fantastic, it’s time you were remunerated for your smarts.

“Ask for 12K extra per year in your new job, say you developed the spreadsheet in your own time, and you own it.
Ask for half your old salary as a handshake to leave it there.”

Please don’t follow this advice. Your employer will think you are insane.

@TheNamesBond, public service but that did make me lol!

Spreadsheet is actually on my personal laptop, using my software but contains their data. Not sure who really owns it tbh!

“Spreadsheet is actually on my personal laptop, using my software but contains their data. Not sure who really owns it tbh”

Your employer owns it.

i'd keep very quiet about having company data on a personal laptop. this might contravene their security rules and be a sackable offense

Are you allowed to have their data on your personal laptop?

I'd be in all sorts of trouble if I did that.

My BIL set up a business website at work (nothing to do with his actual job) on his work computer but in his lunch hours and his employer found out and he had to give them the website.

If you've been offered a good job in the company, take it.
Hand over the spreadsheet. What happens next is not your decision or problem, unless your new job is to be the colleague's manager. Perhaps she has other skills they want to use in her 'free' hours - you don't know, so stop speculating.

I an understand your annoyance, but you have proved your worth to your employer. Just remember that - it should be something you can capitalise on, not something to fall out over.

If it's held on your personal laptop, I suppose once your new contract has come through, there's no reason why a hard drive couldn't fail or when deleting data to comply with GDPR, the entire thing was accidentally lost and unrecoverable.

Might be worth running this by your union first, though.

It’s perfectly ok to use personal laptops. I don’t take it home, it lives at work

If this has data from third parties the consent to hold that information is to your employer. I’d be making a complaint to the ICO if any of my personal data ended up on a personal computer of an employee. What control do they have of your it security?

Even if there is no personal data I think the company still owns the rights - you did this in work time and as part of your work (otherwise you could have just carried on using the old system).

Well, looking at this with my business head on businesses are there to save money. The fact that you have made an efficiency is good for, makes you a credit to the business. By not sharing it you will loose that credit. Of course if you’ve made this efficency they will want it company wide.

As others have said, it's irrelevant that you used a personal laptop ( though very poor practice by your employer and you, and certainly a significant problem if any personal data belonging to anyone is on this spreadsheet), if you developed it in the course of your employment it belongs to your employer.

To be honest this is business nowadays. Technology is taking over.

It must be from my background being in the IT dev industury, but any work you produce, even including spreadsheets is considered theirs, it looks kind of shitty that you want to keep said spreadsheet though and wont really get you very far in the future, even though I can kind of understand why you feel a bit miffed about it.

You would probably earn more kudos longer term by giving letting this one go.