It would depend on your product. I think the key UI principle to remember is that if user work is not saved, make it obvious that this is the case. They way they can decide when they want to keep their data enough to save it.
If the data is impersonal enough you can add a "Whoops, lost you work? Click here to see recent orphans" link.
If the data is impersonal enough you can add a "Whoops, lost you work? Click here to see recent orphans" link.