Left with no choice but to reduce headcount amid struggling business, many companies are adding a vital step to the termination process.

As pink slips become more common, so is the urge to steal corporate secrets on the way out. According to the Cyber-Ark Software survey, “The Global Recession and its Effects on Work Ethics,” a full 71% of polled office workers said they’d definitely steal corporate data if faced with immediate firing.

In fact, 58% of those polled in the U.S. have already downloaded sensitive data — whether it’s to trade for a new job at a competing organization or just out of spite.

The survey says customer and contact databases, product information, company plans, proposals, and company passwords are the most plundered material. While USB memory sticks are the smallest, cheapest and least traceable way to download the data, respondents said they’d use encrypted storage Web sites, DVDs, smart phones and even iPods to copy sensitive materials.

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Tags: Corporate data, iPod, Reduce headcount, Termination