This script adds a "backup your work"-button to the object properties. When clicked, the object will be copied to layer 20 and renamed <object name>_Backup_<date and time>

backup_panel.py

import bpy
import datetime

class BackupPanel(bpy.types.Panel):
	"""Creates a Panel in the Object properties window"""
	bl_label = "Backup"
	bl_idname = "OBJECT_PT_backup"
	bl_space_type = 'PROPERTIES'
	bl_region_type = 'WINDOW'
	bl_context = "object"

	def draw(self, context):
		layout = self.layout

		obj = context.object

		row = layout.row()
		row.label(text="Backup your work", icon='OBJECT_DATA')

		row = layout.row()
		row.label(text="Active object is: " + obj.name)
		row = layout.row()

		row = layout.row()
		row.operator("backup.backup")

class BackupButton(bpy.types.Operator):
	bl_idname = "backup.backup"
	bl_label = "Backup your object"
 
	def execute(self, context):
		now = datetime.datetime.now()
		try:
			backup(bpy.context.object)
		except:
			print("Error" + str(now.hour) + ":" + str(now.minute) + ":" + str(now.second))
		return{'FINISHED'}


def register():
	bpy.utils.register_class(BackupPanel)
	bpy.utils.register_class(BackupButton)


def unregister():
	bpy.utils.unregister_class(BackupPanel)
	bpy.utils.unregister_class(BackupButton)

def backup(obj):
		now = datetime.datetime.now()
		new_name = obj.name + "_Backup_" + str(now.year) + "-" + str(now.month) + "-" + str(now.day) + "-T-" + str(now.hour) + "-" + str(now.minute) + "-" + str(now.second)
		obj.select = True
		bpy.ops.object.duplicate(linked=False)
		obj.select = False
		dupl_obj = bpy.context.selected_objects[0]
		dupl_obj.name = new_name
		dupl_obj.select = True
		bpy.ops.object.move_to_layer(layers=(False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, True))


if __name__ == "__main__":
	register()