to save files to a USB stick and take them with me when I leave?

[thinkingbig]

Regular here but have name changed.

I am thinking of quitting my job and starting up my own business, which will not e a direct competitor of my current employer, but which they may well perceive as a threat.

I want to take some files with me. Nothing secret - I don't intend to take client information or pricing or anything like that - I don't want to play dirty. But I do want to take some of the actual work I've done - research, basically. By law, it all belongs to my current employer so I'm in the wrong to take it. I just want it for my own reference - if I'd printed it when I wrote it I'd use the print outs instead. But I didn't - I never print anything if I can avoid it.

AIBU? And - more to the point - will they be able to tell if I've saved documents to a USB stick?

thanks so much for all the replies, everyone!

Spud - I know I am BU...also I know that 2 wrongs don't make a right - but believe me when I say that they are seriously unethical themselves. Hence me wanting to leave. I also don't think it's exactly like stealing from a shop, as I don't intend to wipe the information - they can still have it. I just want it too.

I don't think they are going to be THAT big on security as they are only a small company. Print or USB, is the question, basically.

The thing is you are only taking the work you created with you. That makes sense. And you have said that it is not confidential - so I don't think it is that wrong at all. Lots of people do this.

If it between print and usb, I'd go with usb because it is so so easy to see exactly what other people are printing.

do you ever have a reason to have to take work home to do at the weekends / evenings? In which case start with the stuff that is fairly current so you have a legitimate reason to have it with you and see if anything happens.

also a good reason to start printing out stuff that is recent for proof reading/ take to a meeting etc and for that to go home with you afterwards.

next time make sure you do everything as you go along