UX contractor and NDA

**pr1** · 6 August 2015, 10:23

Originally posted by saad View Post

Hello guys

I have been contracting for a large organization for nearly a year now as a UX architect. As soon as I declined the further extension, HR sent me NDA to sign, which states I cannot disclose or share anything I have done for them. In my industry, what I have done is what gets me the new gig, I have to show my achievement otherwise there is no proof what I did in past.

I can understand that there are things which really cannot be disclosed but can they stop me from showing my work to next client?

Thansk
Saad

do they mention the NDA in your contract?
have they paid your invoices?
have you signed it?

**saad** · 6 August 2015, 10:29

Contract is with an agency, they pay the invoices. No mentioning of NDA in my contract. I haven't signed the NDA yet.

**BrilloPad** · 6 August 2015, 10:33

I keep getting stuff from my agency to sign or confirm. I just ignore it. They have never chased up so far.

Just pretend you never got any emails.

**pr1** · 6 August 2015, 10:35

dont sign it, keep invoicing

**saad** · 6 August 2015, 10:51

Originally posted by BrilloPad View Post

I keep getting stuff from my agency to sign or confirm. I just ignore it. They have never chased up so far.

Just pretend you never got any emails.

It's sent by client directly to my work email, so no avoiding it. I have just responded asking them to add clause to allow me to use the work for portfolio purposes. If they don't I will refuse signing it. Just to confirm, if I don't sign it, I am not bound to the restrictions of not displaying my work?

**Willapp** · 6 August 2015, 10:58

It seems pretty pointless for them to pursue you signing an NDA after-the-fact, as you can simply not sign it and there's nothing they can do to stop you sharing the work. The only sticking point I can see with doing this is how much time you have left at the company and what issue it might cause with getting any outstanding invoices paid if they decide to play hardball.

If they do push back on your request to use their work for portfolio purposes then perhaps you could suggest a compromise whereby you take a select few screenshots of your work now and get them to approve these specific images for your portfolio usage and you sign the NDA with the proviso that the approved images can be used.

**LondonManc** · 6 August 2015, 11:07

For me, it's more about the behind the scenes secrets that they'd want to protect.
Say you have designed a new microsite that's gone live for the summer launch of a product - that's your site, but it's now in the public domain. They'd expect you to not reveal how you did it, not that you actually did do it. As a contractor, your cv is project/achievement driven so they shouldn't be allowed to stop you saying what you achieved. How you achieved it is what they probably want to protect.

**northernladuk** · 6 August 2015, 11:13

Isn't there a clause in most contracts about you not owning the IP in a gig? Wouldn't showing the work from another client to the new one start alarm bells ringing with the new client?

**BrilloPad** · 6 August 2015, 11:14

Originally posted by saad View Post

It's sent by client directly to my work email, so no avoiding it. I have just responded asking them to add clause to allow me to use the work for portfolio purposes. If they don't I will refuse signing it. Just to confirm, if I don't sign it, I am not bound to the restrictions of not displaying my work?

How can the agency prove you have received this?

Just ignore all the emails.

UX contractor and NDA