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Door 2 · Preservation window

Preserve your record — before you lose access.

If something at work feels different — the review cycle, the tone, who’s in which meeting — trust your gut. Many employers revoke system access in under a minute during a termination call.

This checklist walks you through saving what you’ll want to reference. It takes about 30 minutes. You stay a model employee the whole time.

Start the checklist →I’ve already been fired →
Free•Works without an account•Nothing leaves your device

Why start now

Access can disappear in seconds.

Many employers cut Teams, Slack, and email access in under a minute during a termination call. Plan like it will.

Attorneys evaluate cases on proof.

Contemporaneous documentation — not memory — is what turns a hard story into a viable case.

This is within your rights.

Saving records of your own employment is legal. You’re preserving your story, not taking company IP.

Your 30-minute preservation checklist

Check off what you finish. Progress saves to this browser only — no one else sees it.

0 of 18 done

Saved to this browser only

Do today

Do today

These are the highest-leverage items. Start here even if you only have 10 minutes.

Do this week

Do this week

Lower-urgency but still important. Do these within 5-7 days.

Quiet prep

Quiet prep

Lower priority, but if you have time — worth having.

Next steps

You’re already ahead of most workers.

If you finish the “Do today” group, you have more written proof than most plaintiffs who walk into an attorney’s office. Two things to do next:

Start a dated journal →Learn what laws protect you →

Platform-specific export guides

Quick steps for the systems most employers use. Tap a platform to expand.

Microsoft Teams

Request a personal data export through your Microsoft account. Delivery can take up to 30 days — request it now even if you’re unsure.

  1. Sign in to your Microsoft account (account.microsoft.com) with your work identity.
  2. Go to Privacy → Download your data.
  3. Select chat history and any other categories you want.
  4. Submit the request. Microsoft emails you when the archive is ready.

Saving your own records is legal. These are files that belong to or describe you.

Slack DMs

Personal DM exports aren’t available on most paid plans without admin approval. Screenshot critical threads and use Saved Items to flag messages.

  1. Open the DM in the Slack desktop app.
  2. Click the bookmark icon on any critical message to save it.
  3. Scroll through long threads and screenshot sections that matter.
  4. From your profile: Preferences → Advanced → “Send me my data” to request a personal export.

Saving your own records is legal. These are files that belong to or describe you.

Gmail / Google Workspace

Google Takeout lets you export your mailbox. Delivery is typically 1-7 days.

  1. Go to takeout.google.com while signed in to your work account.
  2. Click “Deselect all,” then select Mail.
  3. Use “All Mail data included” to pick specific labels or a date range.
  4. Choose delivery (email link is usually easiest) and export.

Saving your own records is legal. These are files that belong to or describe you.

Outlook / Microsoft 365

Outlook desktop exports to a .pst file you can open later. Web users can forward threads individually.

  1. Outlook desktop: File → Open & Export → Import/Export → Export to a file → .pst.
  2. Choose the folders you want (Inbox, Sent, specific folders).
  3. Save to an external drive or personal cloud.
  4. Outlook web: forward the threads you care about to a personal email one at a time.

Saving your own records is legal. These are files that belong to or describe you.

Workday

Performance history, goals, and compensation live in Workday. Screenshot while you can still sign in.

  1. Menu → My Reports (or Career → Performance depending on your tenant).
  2. Screenshot each goal cycle and performance review.
  3. Menu → Pay → Payslips: download the last 12 months as PDF.
  4. Menu → Personal Information → save your job history and compensation summary.

Saving your own records is legal. These are files that belong to or describe you.

Lattice / 15Five / Culture Amp

Performance platforms usually give employees their own data on request. Screenshot first so you have it regardless.

  1. Open your profile and navigate to Reviews or Feedback.
  2. Screenshot every cycle (self-assessment, manager review, peer feedback, summary).
  3. If you see an “Export” option, use it — PDF is best.
  4. If your account gets disabled later, you still have a legal right to your own performance data in most states. Contact the vendor directly.

Saving your own records is legal. These are files that belong to or describe you.

Is this legal?

Yes. Saving emails you’ve personally received, DMs you were part of, performance reviews of you, and screenshots of systems you can currently log into is legal in the United States. What you cannot do: use saved company files for a competing business, share trade secrets, or keep them after a court order to return company property. This checklist is about preserving proof of your own employment story — not taking confidential IP.

Not legal advice. Find an attorney →