does anyone know if there is a protocol or law that allows former employees to retrieve construction documents from a former employer for interview purposes? in my case, i am trying to retrieve a construction document set i worked on extensively (digital plot file),but i haven't worked there in years, and all of the staff i worked with have moved on. am i allowed access to these documents by right or is it up to the goodwill of your previous employer?
note this is not for commercial purposes but for private interviews.
"A Member shall not unreasonably withhold permission from a departing employee or partner to take copies of designs, drawings, data, reports, notes, or other materials relating to work performed by the employee or partner that are not confidential. A Member may impose reasonable conditions, such as the payment of copying costs, on the right of departing persons to take copies of their work."
Of course, not all architects are AIA members, but it is generally understood that the work you do for a firm is not exclusively the employers. It is yours also. They should be more than willing to accommodate your requests.
If you keep your request modest and don't expect the firm to drop what they're doing to accommodate a rush response, most firms will comply with a polite, respectful request. If it's been some time since you left, the project may have been archived to deadfiles, which makes your request more troublesome. Most firms are reluctant to provide digital files - be willing to accept 1/2 sized plots. It helps if you offer to pay the plot charges.
All this presumes you left on good terms. The Canon of Ethics notwithstanding, if you burned the bridges on your way out the door, you're screwed.
I show employers the drawings I did for a firm because my school work is a piece of unrealistic,impractical s**t and the employers don't take my school work seriously.What I do is I erase the company's name completely from the border and only leave the title of the drawing i.e. (A-1,S-2) and the date. You should be able to show your drawings without a problem because it was you who put that effort to create them.I always keep digital files of the work I did!
usually, I take all the copies of projects I worked on so that they have to ask me for permission to use them. unfortunately, this often involves lots of legal problems for me.
retrieving drawings you worked on from a previous employer
does anyone know if there is a protocol or law that allows former employees to retrieve construction documents from a former employer for interview purposes? in my case, i am trying to retrieve a construction document set i worked on extensively (digital plot file),but i haven't worked there in years, and all of the staff i worked with have moved on. am i allowed access to these documents by right or is it up to the goodwill of your previous employer?
note this is not for commercial purposes but for private interviews.
According to the AIA code of Ethics:
"A Member shall not unreasonably withhold permission from a departing employee or partner to take copies of designs, drawings, data, reports, notes, or other materials relating to work performed by the employee or partner that are not confidential. A Member may impose reasonable conditions, such as the payment of copying costs, on the right of departing persons to take copies of their work."
Of course, not all architects are AIA members, but it is generally understood that the work you do for a firm is not exclusively the employers. It is yours also. They should be more than willing to accommodate your requests.
Good luck.
If you keep your request modest and don't expect the firm to drop what they're doing to accommodate a rush response, most firms will comply with a polite, respectful request. If it's been some time since you left, the project may have been archived to deadfiles, which makes your request more troublesome. Most firms are reluctant to provide digital files - be willing to accept 1/2 sized plots. It helps if you offer to pay the plot charges.
All this presumes you left on good terms. The Canon of Ethics notwithstanding, if you burned the bridges on your way out the door, you're screwed.
just the answer i'm looking for. thanks!
I show employers the drawings I did for a firm because my school work is a piece of unrealistic,impractical s**t and the employers don't take my school work seriously.What I do is I erase the company's name completely from the border and only leave the title of the drawing i.e. (A-1,S-2) and the date. You should be able to show your drawings without a problem because it was you who put that effort to create them.I always keep digital files of the work I did!
haha paradox... that is funny.... that is how i look at my academia "portfolio". loaded with theoritical bull shit that is worthless.
usually, I take all the copies of projects I worked on so that they have to ask me for permission to use them. unfortunately, this often involves lots of legal problems for me.
but does it involve a constant cash flow?
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