3 ms·

But do you have to give the automation tool to the company? My impression is that the automation tool is not part of the job.

mcv 7y ago
But it's related to your job, and if your contract specifies that anything you write that is related to your job belongs to your employer, they own the automation script.
- Dumblydorr 7y ago
  How automated though? I have an automated script that is really easy for me to run, but I'm not sure others would easily pick up the pieces if I was fired out of the blue...its automated but not simple.
  - mcv 7y ago
    I was in a similar position in my first job. We got an extremely detailed functional description of what the software was supposed to do. It was so detailed, I had a couple of scripts and macros that created most of the code for me. I was always the first to be done with my work. I wouldn't have minded sharing those macros, in fact. Those macros were specific to that particular project, though. I was eventually fired from that job (I suspect my boss didn't like seeing me lean back and watch my scripts and macros run), and this never came up. I think the real value here is the skill and desire to automate these things, not the automation scripts themselves.
- datashow 7y ago
  Sorry I did not make it clear. What I meant the automation tool is something like Autohotkey. Let's say I made a private software XAuto (like Autohotkey) many many years ago with tons of efforts, and then I wrote a XAuto script (like an Autohotkey script) to automate my work. Do I have to give both of the XAuto script and the XAuto software to my employer?
  - triclops200 7y ago
    That would depend on contract, but, assuming you have a decently sane contract, you'd have to hand over the script, but not the software itself. However, it now sounds like you've landed your first paying customer for a license for your software.
tcoff91 7y ago
If they’re an employee and not a contractor then the automation code belongs to their employer

mcv 7y ago

But it's related to your job, and if your contract specifies that anything you write that is related to your job belongs to your employer, they own the automation script.

Dumblydorr 7y ago
How automated though? I have an automated script that is really easy for me to run, but I'm not sure others would easily pick up the pieces if I was fired out of the blue...its automated but not simple.
- mcv 7y ago
  I was in a similar position in my first job. We got an extremely detailed functional description of what the software was supposed to do. It was so detailed, I had a couple of scripts and macros that created most of the code for me. I was always the first to be done with my work. I wouldn't have minded sharing those macros, in fact. Those macros were specific to that particular project, though. I was eventually fired from that job (I suspect my boss didn't like seeing me lean back and watch my scripts and macros run), and this never came up. I think the real value here is the skill and desire to automate these things, not the automation scripts themselves.
datashow 7y ago
Sorry I did not make it clear. What I meant the automation tool is something like Autohotkey. Let's say I made a private software XAuto (like Autohotkey) many many years ago with tons of efforts, and then I wrote a XAuto script (like an Autohotkey script) to automate my work. Do I have to give both of the XAuto script and the XAuto software to my employer?
- triclops200 7y ago
  That would depend on contract, but, assuming you have a decently sane contract, you'd have to hand over the script, but not the software itself. However, it now sounds like you've landed your first paying customer for a license for your software.

tcoff91 7y ago

If they’re an employee and not a contractor then the automation code belongs to their employer